Apr 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) breaks his bat after popping up against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
You bolt awake in the mountains of Carthage. You are not watching the Mets. It is 217 BC. You are the general Hannibal, and you have changed your mind. The future cannot come to pass. Rome must burn.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 19: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs didn’t return to the playoffs. The playoffs returned to San Antonio. Accordingly, these modern San Antonio Spurs didn’t win their first playoff game. Their first playoff game won the San Antonio Spurs, or whatever Kirk Lazarus aka Lincoln Osiris might have said. Everyone’s geeked out once in a while, especially come playoff time. It’s Hollywood—I mean, Fiesta.
And party time never looked so good: Victor Wembanyama had a game-high 35 points scored while De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle had 17 points apiece. The Spurs as a a team went 15 -33 from downtown, good for 45% in their game 1 win.
The national media and social media made a big hullabaloo about the decked out Fiesta colors in the arena and the soft peer pressuring of fellow fans into wearing their (free!) designated t-shirts (looking at you, Tim Duncan) to capture the spirit of Fiesta, and for this time of year, basically a common law marriage with the Spurs also in the playoffs. I’m a little biased, rightfully so, but the Spurs should get some love and attention for a great season and launching of a hopefully even better postseason.
Wemby's first playoff game. Spurs’ first home playoff game in six years.
Victor Wembanyama got lower than a pair of apple bottom jeans (boots with the fur) to drive his way past two defenders to earn a tough bucket. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that the team notched game 1, but it does feel like this team also has the “appropriate fear” and respect for the Portland Trailblazers because it will be a long series.
As a not-so-side note, it’s also easy to root for interim Trail Blazers head coach and former Spur Tiago Splitter. He’s done a fantastic job leading his team to the playoffs after an atypical start to the season where head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of a wide FBI gambling investigation. Regardless of what happens this offseason, Splitter should find himself as a top candidate for head coaching gigs whether in Portland or elsewhere.
You know when the washing machine is unbalanced so it makes that loud noise during the spin cycle? There was nothing unbalanced about this spin move Wembanyama put on the defense as he cleared his own path for a clean bucket. Overall, Wembanyama seemed as poised, collected, and in control as any 22-year-old basketball star might be in their first playoff game.
This clip below doesn’t do proper justice to the tremendous end-of-the-quarter sequence by the Spurs where De’Aaron Fox pushed the ball in transition full court knowing full well he was going to laser a perfect pass to Keldon Johnson for the three. Fox drove just far enough toward the basket to draw in the defense and then immediately pivoted toward a trailing Johnson for the open look.
My wife, who hasn’t watched a minute of any Spurs game this season (she’s a busy woman), looked up right when Dylan Harper threw this perfect lob to Wembanyama and said, “Man, that was easy. How do you stop that?” Me, being my usual obnoxious self, tried to mansplain that well actually any lob thrown at Wemby looks perfect because he has an 8-foot wingspan, which makes his catch radius really insanely wide.
She didn’t respond because she was already looking back down at her laptop for work, immune to my long-winded rants.
You have to wonder, though, if any Joe could step on a court and throw a lob to Wembanyama over other professional basketball players and it would look as cool and on the dot as these alley oops.
I know the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era Los Angeles Clippers own the Lob City moniker, but can we borrow it just for a moment? Paul is a former Spur (once a Spur . . . always a Spur) and Griffin is busy making funny commercials with the great Luis Guzmán—I’m sure they won’t mind.
Stephon Castle on this play looked like he forgot how low the basket is when he jumps that high because it looked like he was at the apex of his hop when he realized that the rim was a full half foot lower than he expected. Castle and Fox, for their part, kept the Spurs offense moving on Sunday night, and we should fully expect them to rack up even more assists between the two of them as the series progress.
Considering how young these Spurs are, Devin Vassell is the wily vet making his own playoff debut. He did not disappoint as he played the most minutes, was impactful on both sides of the ball (2 blocks for good measure), and drained four 3-pointers. On a balanced team of unselfish players, being the fourth highest scorer is a luxury the Spurs will appreciate and use to their advantage.
Notice how he was the last one in his section to put on the shirt. It’s like that time Kramer wouldn’t wear the ribbon. Oh Timmay, you’re still my favorite player of all time.
OK but David Robinson looks younger than Duncan in this clip. You’d think Number 21 would remember The Admiral’s advice to use Edge shave gel, not just any ol’ shaving cream.
(note: Edge shave gel is not a sponsor of Pounding the Rock. I just like their old commercial featuring Robinson and Duncan. But, if they do want to sponsor us, I will accept H-E-B bucks and garden gnomes as payment.)
David Robinson and Tim Duncan having a great time watching Wemby and the Spurs beat the Blazers! 🔥 Go Spurs Go! #Spurspic.twitter.com/AIEGgONTZB
If you missed the game because you were too busy with wild horses dragging you away from your television, iPad (tablet), or iPhone (smartphone) (seriously, it’s the playoffs!) (but fellow Spurs fans understand . . . sort of), here are the full-game highlights:
Next up, the Spurs hope to hold home court as they take on the Portland Trailblazers in game 2 on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
6 Oct 1999: Head coach Larry Dierker #49 of the Houston Astros meets with his players on the mound during the National League Division Series game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves defeated the Astros 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport | Getty Images
Larry Dierker as a player and manager guided the Astros franchise to a combined 574 wins. His number 49 is rightfully retired, and he joins us as our Legends Series continues with our sixth entry.
Let’s start at the beginning. You struck out Willie Mays in your first ever start. Incredible. What do you most remember about that?
I was in Cocoa Florida, and I had been averaging almost two strike outs per inning because the general manager Paul Richards taught me how to throw a sinker and a slider which I didn’t know how to throw. If all you have is a fastball, you’re not going to last very long.
I was confident, but they didn’t exactly put me out there against an easy team, they had Harvey Kuenn, McCovey, Cepeda and of course, Willie. I had one strike in the count, and I threw him a change up, and he hit it about 450 feet, but it went 10-foot foul, and that was strike two. So, then I threw him a slider that started inside, and the ball broke over the inside corner. It’s now called a backdoor slider of course, and I kind of threw it by accident and it really worked.
It’s coming up on 50 years since you threw your no-hitter in July of 1976. Did you know you had it going that day?
I was at the end of my career. We were way out of the race. They had brought up a bunch of younger guys, so it was clear that the team was looking to rebuild.
On that day, I decided to just mix it up, and not try to impress anyone that I still knew how to throw. I was cruising along and then once it got into the 8th inning, I decided that I was just going to throw fast balls because we had a 6-0 lead in the dome, and I didn’t have to give in to anybody.
My fastball was awesome that day. In 1969, I had a possible no-hitter in Atlanta with two outs when Felix Millan got an infield hit. I wasn’t going to let that happen again, so I’m in the dome, there’s these fences to protect me, my ball had pop on it.
It was kind of like the game when Lance McCullers threw the Yankees 23 straight curve balls. I just kept throwing fastballs and they couldn’t hit them, and I had a no hitter.
I often wonder about what would’ve happened if you had gotten to the series and faced the Yankees in 1998. How good was that Astros team in 1998?
The Padres were a really good team. Give them credit. Kevin Brown outpitched Randy. Remember, Bob Gibson one year had an ERA of 1.12 and lost a game to me. If your team doesn’t score any runs, you can’t win.
I’m not sure if that was the best team that the Astros ever had in their history, but it was the best team I personally ever had as a manager. When we got Randy and he went 10-1 that summer, he was just overpowering, and the months of August and September were so exciting. I really thought we were going to the World Series.
Do you have any innings left in that arm of yours? The Astros staff has been compromised to say the least.
I think the problem with the Astros pitchers and pitchers all throughout baseball is not necessarily the pitchers themselves or the coaches, it’s the doctors.
If a guy has a little thing in his shoulder, they’ll poke around and find something. In my day, we put hot patches on it, took some painkillers, and went out there. All they could do back then was take X-rays and that only showed inflammation or tendons or anything else.
We couldn’t afford not to pitch because everyone mostly had one-year contracts and you were only paid the next season based upon what you did the season before. Guys didn’t want to miss a start.
You look at some of those guys in the Hall Of Fame who threw 4000 or 5000 innings, are you going to tell me that those guys didn’t have tweaks in their arms, that things didn’t hurt? I took so many cortisone shots, sometimes even from the opposing team doctors from the other club. I was always focused on the next start. That’s just the way it was back then.
It seems the secret to Sunday success for the Braves is to play Sunday Night Baseball. For the second straight week, the Braves were successful via the new version of Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock. They come from behind to beat the Phillies 4-2 and completed a splendid weekend sweep of their division rival. After dropping the first game of the week to the Marlins, the Braves have now won five straight games. They also continue to strengthen their lead in the NL East with a 5 game lead overall.
With another week of facing NL East opponents ahead, the Braves are playing of their best baseball in recent memory.
Braves News
The big off the field news of the Day for the Braves organization was Didier Fuentes being a late scratch for Gwinnett. Fortunately, it was not health related, as Mark Bowman of MLB.com speculates the Braves are keeping Fuentes fresh to be available if needed this week with the big league club.
There’s a certain kind of honesty that only arrives with the benefit of time. Former Los Angeles Lakers’ center Vlade Divac delivered that honesty recently when he said:
“When I became a GM, I would trade myself for Kobe Bryant.”
He said it with a grin in Amazon Prime’s new documentary Jerry West: The Logo, and the line lands like a punchline wrapped around two decades of basketball truth.
Back in 1996, Divac was a beloved center for the Lakers. But general manager Jerry West saw something in a skinny, unproven, and fearless 17-year-old kid from Philadelphia named Kobe Bryant.
West famously worked Bryant out in Los Angeles against Michael Cooper and he walked out of the gym that day convinced he’d seen the future face of the NBA.
That’s why on Draft Day he decided to ship out Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for the teenager who hadn’t played a single professional minute of basketball yet.
“Jerry saw it, I didn’t,” said former Lakers’ athletic trainer Gary Vitti in the documentary. “I saw a 17-year-old kid trying to imitate Michael Jordan. But he wasn’t Michael Jordan.”
Divac didn’t want to go to Charlotte and he fought it. He felt blindsided by the trade and had every right.
“If you’re going to make a trade like that, you better be right,” said former Lakers guard and coach Byron Scott in the documentary.
Divac, years later as general manager of the Sacramento Kings, now sees it clearly. The irony isn’t lost on him.
“Back then I was upset and I didn’t like it,” said Divac in the doc. “Bu I trusted Jerry that he saw something nobody had seen before. He did a good decision.”
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Less than 24 hours after the Golden State Warriors saw their season collapse in a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in game, Steph Curry traded out the basketball court for echoes of bass lines underneath the Indio night sky at the Coachella Music Festival.
Curry, alongside his brother Seth Curry, and their wives, were spotted on Saturday night weaving through the festival grounds, part of a celebrity-laced audience watching Justin Bieber headline in the desert.
Just hours earlier, Curry had 17 points in the Warriors’ final game of the season, as Golden State lost out on the eight-seed in the Western Conference and a first round date with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Seth logged one minute in the loss and did not attempt a shot.
Ayesha Curry offered a glimpse into the family’s pivot to Coachella, posting on her Instagram story of the couple smiling in front of the stage.
Back in Phoenix, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr wrapped his arms around Steph and Draymond Green at the end of the game, delivering something closer to a farewell than a timeout speech.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Kerr told them. “But I love you guys to death. Thank you.”
Kerr’s future with the Warriors is uncertain, but one thing is for sure. Now that their season is over, they will all have plenty of time for concerts, vacations, and tee times on the golf course.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 18: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 18, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Houston Rockets were without star forward and leading scorer Kevin Durant in Game 1 versus the L.A. Lakers due to a knee bruise he suffered in practice last week. According to Ime Udoka, it was a mobility issue for KD and not a pain one. Whether that’s just the coach covering for his player or not, who knows? But latest reports are suggesting that KD should be back for Game 2. According to USA Today, Durant has a “good chance” of returning in Game 2.
“KD, from what I’ve heard, there’s a good chance he could return in Game 2. “There’s hope that Kevin Durant can return by Game 2, which is on Tuesday night.”
You haven’t been around here long if you don’t already know my feelings on Kevin Durant. Generational scorer, terrible leader and personality (cough, cough burners), and maybe even a little bit soft. I certainly don’t have him in my top 10 or even my top 15 of all-time like many do, though he can be considered one of the better gun-for-hire types the NBA has seen. No loyalty to team or teammates, but if you pay him enough and have enough pieces already in place, he may grace you with his presence. I honestly feel that the Kevin Durant trade completely ruined Houston’s athletic, running, in-your-face defense mentality in favor of a let’s all stand around and admire KD approach. KD basically does that to every location he goes to that didn’t already have a generational superstar heirarchy in place (Golden State, but he even wore out his welcome there), but that’s a story for another day.
Are the Rockets good enough to win without KD? It doesn’t appear so now that the team has lost its indentity. Are they good enough to win WITH KD? I’m not even sure of that right now, to be honest. A team without an identity is not going far in the NBA Playoffs, and that’s Houston’s biggest problem right now. Jalen Green, Dillion Brooks, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams were tone setters with physicality and athleticism. This is KD’s team right now, for better or worse, and it’s mostly been worse.
That being said, let’s see how the Rockets look if/when KD is back. They’re already in a hole. Whether he plays or doesn’t play, going down 2-0 to the hobbled Lakers is a place no good team should be. And if a series loss happens, honestly someone should lose their job. I doubt they will, but Houston should be embarrased by their Game 1 performance. It’s gut check time whether Get-off-my-injured-list-erson (or whatever his new burner name is) plays or not.
That sounded like closure, but now the language has shifted subtly.
Curry can clearly still play at an elite level. Last Wednesday in the Warriors play-in game victory over the Clippers, Curry scored 35 points, 27 in the second half as he rallied his team back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit.
Curry will be 40 years old in 2028, and the question won’t be whether or not he can still shoot. That part is certain. The real question will be if he’s healthy and wants to compete.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 19: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shows off his jersey before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on April 19, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In Sunday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics crushed the Philadelphia 76ers, 123-91. Jared McCain and the OKC Thunder took care of the Suns, 119-84. Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic shocked the Detroit Pistons, 112-101. Finally, Mason Plumlee and the San Antonio Spurs hammered the Portland Trail Blazers, 111-98.
Tatum nearly pulled off a triple-double, with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, and 21 of his points came in the first half.
Out in Oklahoma City, McCain had 5 points in 8 minutes for the Thunder. For Phoenix, Grayson Allen and Mark Williams were both listed as questionable, and neither played. Khaman Maluach got 15 minutes and three rebounds, but did not score.
Paolo Banchero had 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists at Detroit, while Wendell Carter got 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Mason Plumlee, in the twilight of his NBA career, did not play against the Trailblazers.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz (3)sits in the dugout after blowing a save giving up three runs to the Texas Rangers in the ninth inning on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Roki Sasaki struggled through another start on Sunday at Coors Field, allowing three runs in 4 2/3 innings, and in his four starts has a 6.11 ERA and 15.9-percent walk rate in 17 2/3 innings. With River Ryan on the injured list in Triple-A, and Blake Snell not expected back until late May or so, there are no current alternatives for the Dodgers in the rotation, which means Sasaki’s learning curve will have to come in the majors for the time being.
“I’m trying to make adjustments all the time,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okudo. “In the long run, I have to do the things I need to work on.”
Edwin Díaz pitched Sunday for the first time in nine days, after being day-to-day with concerns about his velocity. Things did not go well against the Colorado Rockies, allowing three hits and a walk to his four batters faced, and three runs in the eighth inning of a game the Dodgers lost by three.
“Today was a tough evaluation. I mean, it really was,” Roberts said. “Because I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really. And so, I’ll have a conversation with him. I know our training staff, and pitching guys will, and make sure that there is nothing to it, because the radar gun has been consistent, and his velocity been consistent in that, and it wasn’t there today.
Jose Feliciano, co-founder and managing partner of Clearlake Capital Group, during the Bloomberg Invest event in New York, US, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The conference brings together the most influential voices across asset management, banking, private capital and wealth. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Bloomberg via Getty Images
The sale price shatters the previous record of $2.475 billion, which is what Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in 2020. The timing of the sale expected to happen this year, before the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. The Padres selling for $3.9 billion is going to make it much harder for owners to posture about the health of the sport being imperiled.
“You see there’s owners that want to win and want to put a great product on the field because they’ve seen the benefits of it,” said Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who is also a member of the MLB Players Association’s executive subcommittee. “I think today is a perfect example of what the benefit is.”
Okay, one more note within the division, and it’s also Padres-related: Closer Mason Miller has yet to allow a run in his 11 1/3 innings this season, and has struck out an absurd 27 of his 38 batters faced (71.1 percent) this season. Sheesh.
Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) moves around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) in the second quarter during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
What happened in Game 1 was expected for the Phoenix Suns. You know it, I know, it the NBA universe knows it. Why? Because the Oklahoma City Thunder are the better team, and they showed it.
Sunday afternoon was a clear reminder of the gap. Phoenix can ride good vibes and shot-making, but Oklahoma City lives in execution. Possession after possession, detail after detail. That is where the difference shows up, and that is where the Suns as a franchise want to get to one day: a place where you can beat teams in multiple ways, with multiple contributors, without needing everything to look perfect.
This game highlighted what we have seen all season. Phoenix leans heavily on jump shooting. When the shots fall, it looks great. When they do not, it gets tight in a hurry. Against a defense like Oklahoma City, that margin shrinks even more. They are connected, disciplined, and relentless at the point of attack. Every look feels crowded, every decision feels rushed.
It is like watching two versions of the same idea at different levels. If the Suns are Mario, the Thunder are Mario after grabbing the mushroom. Everything looks similar at first glance, then you realize one version is bigger, stronger, and operating with more room for error. The defense hits harder. The closeouts arrive faster. The shooting holds up. And inside, on both ends, there is a presence Phoenix cannot match right now.
So you walk away from Game 1 without shock. The result lines up with what we expected. Now it becomes about what comes next, what adjustments are made, and whether the Suns can find a way to close that gap, even if it is only for a night heading into Game 2.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Jalen Green, the Michael Jordan of the Play-In. His 36 points against the Warriors propelled the Suns into the postseason. And it also broke the tie between he and Mark Williams for fifth place in the BSB standings. He is there all alone now. He now has his sights set on Brooks and Allen.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 85 (Game 1) against the Thunder. Here are your nominees:
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: A general view of the New York Yankees playing against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
It’s a new week of San Francisco Giants baseball, so let’s take a look at what’s on deck for the week.
The Giants are off today, but they’re heading back home to Oracle Park for both series this week.
First up, the Los Angeles Dodgers are coming to town tomorrow for a three-game series. After that, it will be a three-game series against the Miami Marlins over the weekend.
Any other week, I would pick the Dodgers series as the one I am most interested in for the week. But I’m actually going to be attending a game this weekend, so I’m going to have to say the Marlins series. Not only because I will be in attendance, but because they might actually stand a chance of winning some of those. Maybe. The Marlins are fairly good so far this year. But I’ll take them over the Dodgers, I guess.
Which series are you most interested in this week?
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 17: Warming Bernabel #25, Juan Mejia #47 and Ezequiel Tovar #14 of the Colorado Rockies celebrate after winning the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Sunday, August 17, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
For most folks, the start of their career means the end of school. It doesn’t matter if you work in finance, healthcare, the arts or athletics. However, that is not the case for all athletes. The Colorado Rockies provide continuing player education, helping their Latino players learn English language and get acquainted with US culture.
It’s an essential part of player development for future Rockies who are not from the United States. After all, learning a new language and becoming comfortable with a new culture provide off-the-field challenges, and all of this happens while players are continuing to develop their baseball skills.
In this multi-part series, I will be taking you behind the scenes of the Rockies Cultural Education & Development Program.
First up, how it came about.
A brief history of the program
The Rockies Cultural Education & Development Program was first established in 2012 by Josh Rosenthal – brother of former Rockies assistant general manager, Zack Rosenthal. Josh was a former Peace Corps volunteer and felt the need for the players to do more than be able to speak English. He pitched the program to Vice President of International Operations Rolando Fernández, and the rest is history.
Within the year, they hired Angel Amparo – a former systems and structural engineer – as the Cultural Education & Development Coordinator.
“We pretty much started from scratch with this,” Amparo said. “We were like, ‘What do you want this to look like?’ So we decided on a curriculum in terms of what we needed and a syllabus that we thought was beneficial for our players. This was with a lot of feedback from the coaches, the player development staff and the front office. So we wrote this – I don’t think we knew what we were doing for the first couple of years. They were pretty touch and go, learning and trial by error. But as the years went by and we got more into it… I was focused primarily on just the kids in the Dominican Republic, and Josh could focus on the kids in the States.”
After eight years, Rosenthal left the Rockies organization, and Amparo and a team of four teachers have continued to administer the program from the Dominican Summer League all the way through Double-A:
Julio Medina – Lead Teacher (Dominican Summer League)
Steven Baumann – English Teacher (Arizona Complex League)
Dr. Yulonn Harris – English Teacher (Fresno & Hartford)
Paul Worley – English Teacher (Spokane)
The Rockies originally had a formal program for players in Triple-A and the major leagues, but found it to be challenging due to the constant roster turnover.
“I still communicate with them and we still do a lot of virtual teaching,” Amparo said. “We still offer them any type of English language learning programs that we use and they have access to it. But since they’re at that level and they’re older and more mature – not that we’re babysitting them – we give them the option. We want to tailor to what [they] need.
“So what I do with the Triple-A and major league kids is ask ‘What do you want? What would help you this season?’ And based on what they tell me in their feedback, I design something specific for them that can help them.”
Teacher hiring process
The interview process for teachers is extensive.
“I look for someone who has some experience with either inquiry-based learning, project-based learning or Socratic teaching,” Amparo said. “Knowledge of baseball isn’t a game changer. It’s nice if they have it, but Yulonn (Harris) didn’t know anything about baseball when she was first hired, but she was so qualified and she’s learned so much over the years about the team. I look for unorthodox-type teachers, very outside-the-box teachers.
“I have them create a lesson plan for me, and then I have them do a mock class with their affiliate,” Amparo continued. “I’ll be there and I want to observe. And based on that, I make my decisions. But I’m picky. When I hired Steven (Baumann), we interviewed 74 candidates. And I ask the players who they like afterwards because obviously they work together for the whole season, or multiple seasons, so I want to make sure they have a good connection with this person.”
Term structure
Classes are provided to all signed Latin players, approximately 120-140 players per season. Classes are offered in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual components for the duration of the season, starting in April and running until September. In the DSL, players take classes every day from 4-7 pm after their morning games. Once players get stateside, the teachers are given more flexibility based on game schedules, but they are still required to meet at least three times per week with two days of asynchronous content. Additionally, the DSL teachers hold office hours for 30 minutes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
In addition to their own internal team, the Rockies also collaborate with other teams across Major League Baseball.
“We have monthly meetings with MLB and all of the other education coordinators,” Amparo said. “We have Zoom meetings, and we always get together at the Winter Meetings as well. I have my little clique with the Twins, the Phillies, the Guardians, the Marlins and the Orioles, so we always get together monthly and we meet at one of our academies. We just brainstorm some ideas because the whole purpose of this is to build better men.”
The main focus of the department is its structured curriculum and syllabus for English-language acquisition through intentional, progressive lessons that are tailored to the realities of a career in professional baseball. There is a standard curriculum, but the teachers are given autonomy to change things as long as it’s beneficial to the players.
“We collaborate on it,” Amparo said. “We have our Rockies Evaluation Matrix with these ‘can do’ statements for different levels. It goes from white, which is rookie, to purple, which is more advanced. So even though we have this as a guideline, I give them the autonomy on lesson plans and projects. One thing that I encourage for the affiliates is to do more interactions with the media and talking with more native speakers. In Arizona, we’ve done presentations to local high schools there. We meet monthly and [the teachers] always come to me with a project or idea that they want to do and as long as it aligns with our matrix of what we’re trying to do, I give them autonomy to do it.”
Other lessons the Rockies have implemented include a spelling bee competition, an egg drop competition, play-by-play commentary, mock commercials, and chess tournaments. Additionally, the players take workshops on financial literacy, contract negotiations and general communications. They also learn vocational skills such as graphic design and PC repair.
Closing thoughts
The Rockies were ahead of the game when it came to helping their Latino players acclimate to working, living, and playing baseball in the United States.
Next week, I’ll discuss the intricacies of the curriculum itself.
Just like the big league club, the Triple-A Rockies beat the Triple-A Dodgers. And while the Rockies made things close at the end, the Isotopes jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, including a six-run seventh. They scored in every inning except for the second and eighth, and there was scoring by at least one team in every inning. Every single Isotopes starter had at least one hit except for Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), but he went 0-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and two strikeouts. Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) was the belle of the ball, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Adael Amador, Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) and Braxton Fulford each had three hits, and Blaine Crim had two.
On the pitching side, starter Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP) tossed five innings and allowed three runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
Double-A: CANCELLED: Hartford Yard Goats vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels
Sunday’s Yard Goats game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants) was cancelled due to inclement weather and will not be rescheduled since Richmond doesn’t return to Hartford this season. The Yard Goats will begin a six-game road trip to Portland, Maine against the Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) on Tuesday.
The Indians struggled against the Canadians again on Sunday afternoon. The pitching staff performed well, with starter Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) throwing three innings without allowing a hit nor a run while walking two and striking out five. Nathan Blasick pitched 0.2 scoreless innings with two hits, a walk and two strikeouts, but Stu Flesland III struggled in his 3.1 innings of work. The left-hander allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Lefty Justin Loer came in for the final two innings, and allowed two more runs on a home run with two hits and a strikeout.
On the hitting side, only three prospects recorded hits: LF Jacob Humphrey (2-for-4, R, BB), SS Kelvin Hidalgo (3-for-4, RBI, K) and 3B Jacob Hinderleider (1-for-4, R, RBI, K).
While the Triple-A Rockies piled it on the Triple-A Rockies, unfortunately the Single-A Rockies were piled on by the Single-A Dodgers. On the pitching side, the only pitcher to have a clean outing was RHP Manuel Olivares, who allowed two hits with a strikeout in just 0.1 innings of work. Of the six pitchers used, LHP Brady Parker got the worst of it — allowing six runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Interestingly, he was one of three that didn’t allow a home run, but was still saddled with the loss.
On the hitting side, Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP), Derek Bernard and Tanner Thatch each recorded two hits. Jeremy Ciriasco recorded one, but the rest of the lineup was silent. That said, they only racked up nine strikeouts as a team.
Ahead of the Rockies game on Saturday, 100-year-old Momoyo Nakamoto Kelley was in attendance and was able to meet her favorite Japanese players — Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tomoyuki Sugano — and Dave Roberts, who was born in Japan. After surviving the atomic bomb at 19, Kelley and her husband emigrated to the US in the 1950’s and now reside in Salt Lake City.
The Rockies have been tinkering with their pitching strategy. Thomas Harding specifically cites Chase Dollander, Antonio Senzatela and Zach Agnos as positive developments in the bullpen, as the Rockies attempt to not burn it out too early in the season.
Former Angels great Garret Anderson passed away on Friday at age 53. Anderson holds several career records for the Angels and was a three-time All-Star. Our condolences go out to his family, friends, former teammates and the Angels organization.
Brittany Ghiroli gets reaction to the record sale from around MLB, (The Athletic sub. req.) including how it is going to be tough for MLB owners to cry poverty in the upcoming collective bargaining talks after this sale price for a non-major market team.
One thing the Rockies are doing this year is “suggesting” pitches from the dugout. (The Athletic sub. req.) The Marlins are outright calling pitches from the dugout, but the Rockies are taking a softer stance to the same thing, saying that their pitchers and catchers are free to ignore the suggestions. But they say they mostly don’t.
Bryan Horowitz reports on the band Korn sending Miller a whole bunch of swag and inviting him to a concert after they found out that their song “Blind” was Miller’s walk-out music. Of course, the Padres picked the song for Miller since he was born after the song was popular, but he still appreciates it.
Casey Drottar reports that Taiwanese fans continue to support Guardians minor league outfielder Stuart Fairchild after he played for Chinese Taipei in the WBC. Fairchild has never been to Taiwan, but he hopes to go this upcoming offseason and he wants to take his mother, who left the island for America when she was 12 and hasn’t been back.
Only in @milb do you have someone in the front office with a perfect Mickey Mouse impression to announce our Mickey Mouse Night starting lineup 🐭 pic.twitter.com/iZAbqh22tB
