SEATTLE - JUNE 8: Shortstop Juan Castro #17 of the Minnesota Twins just misses a ground ball in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners on June 8, 2006 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The Twins defeated the Mariners 7-3. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an up-and-down start to the 2006 campaign, the Minnesota Twins hoped to settle in and recapture the AL Central crown. Alas, through May and into one fateful June night in the Pacific Northwest, the endeavor looked more bottoming-out than regrouped-contender.
Heading into a Twinkie Town After Dark ™ contest with the Seattle Mariners on 6/7/06 (more on that momentarily), not much outside of the always-solid Johan Santana, metronomic Joe Mauer, and newcomer Luis Castillo was working.
Remember the guys meant to inject some pop into the lineup after ‘05’s punchless group? Well, Tony Batista was sitting at a .241 BA & .398 SLG, while Rondell White was somehow even worse—perhaps historically so: .193 BA, .436 OPS, 0 HR despite everyday play.
Cristian Guzman SS heir-apparent Juan Castro was another lineup liability at .238 BA & .576 OPS. Touted power prodigy Justin Morneau did have 11 bombs, but with a less-than-stellar .236 BA & .747 OPS that would soon prompt a “come to Jesus” meeting with skipper Ron Gardenhire.
Outside of should-have-been-Cy Santana, the starting pitching was in similar shambles:
Brad Radke: 12 GS, 6.42 ERA
Kyle Lohse: 8 GS, 8.92 ERA
Carlos Silva: 9 GS and some relief appearances, 7.76 ERA
This was all leading to the night of June 6, a game I will never forget watching on TV.
After the Mariners battered Boof Bonser, Willie Eyre, & Dennys Reyes to gain a huge early lead, the Twins mounted an epic comeback—capped by a Michael Cuddyer grand slam in the 8th inning to tie the contest at 9-9!
After a few scoreless frames (for a change) in this wild affair, in B11 Twins RP Jesse Crain—my noted irrational nemesis, since usurped by Justin Topa—needed just one more out to give MN bats another crack at victory.
Instead: a mammoth Carl Everett home run that gave the M’s a walk-off victory and sent me into a profane rage that would have made Jerry Burns blush.
After that soul-crushing loss, the Twins sat at 25-33—buried in fourth place in the AL Central & a whopping 11.5 GB the front-running Detroit Tigers. Instead of the ‘05 mediocrity feeling like a blip, it now seemed to indicate a trend. Roughly four months of games remained on the ’06 schedule, but it would seemingly take a miracle to dig out of such a large early deficit and make a true division championship run.
Thanks mostly to David Peterson and the bullpen, the Mets finished their series against the Nationals with a 2-1 win. Bo Bichette’s two-run single with the bases loaded in the third provided all of the Mets’ offense, but the proved to be enough. And the Mets wake up this morning in fourth place in the National League East, the first time they’ve been out of the cellar in weeks.
Devin Williams got the save in the win, and following his outing on April 23, he decided to raise the position of his hands to reverse a change he made last year in his time with the Yankees.
The Braves beat the Marlins, and their 9-3 win officially got the Mets out of last place in the National League East, as the Marlins moved into the cellar.
Marlins starter Robby Snelling, who came into the 2026 season as one of the very best pitching prospects in all of baseball, will undergo Tommy John surgery after experiencing elbow discomfort following his major league debut earlier this month.
With Aaron Nola sporting a 6.04 ERA this year, which is almost exactly in line with his 6.01 ERA last year, the Good Phight wonders what the Phillies can do about him as he’s still in just the third year of his seven-year, $172 million contract.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: General view during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit square off before a record-setting crowd at Oracle Park on August 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) | ISI Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants return to the bay this weekend for a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. So let’s take a look at what Oracle Park has on deck for fans who might be thinking about attending.
Friday night will be a Special Event for Japanese Heritage Night! Fans with special event tickets will get at Japanese Heritage Night baseball t-shirt giveaway designed by Sumo Fish, and there will be festivities around the park throughout the evening.
As with all Saturday home games this season, Saturday will be a Fiesta Gigantes event with music, food and other celebrations featured throughout the park. Additionally, the first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a Chain Hat giveaway.
Sunday will be Star Wars Day at Oracle Park. The first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a Grogu Bobblehead giveaway. I am incredibly jealous because they are very cute. Fans are encouraged to dress up, and will have photo opportunities throughout the park.
If you’re headed to the park this weekend, have fun! And make sure to share pictures!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants take on game one of this three-game series against the White Sox tonight at 7:15 p.m. PT.
Mar 5, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (left) is tended to by a trainer after being hit by a pitch against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Just a month and a half into the season, the Colorado Rockies injured list has already seen its fair share of residents.
From long-term injuries like RJ Petit and Pierson Ohl (Tommy John surgery), to 15-day IL stints like Mickey Moniak (right finger sprain), Kyle Freeland (left shoulder inflammation), Jose Quintana (right hamstring sprain), Ryan Feltner (right ulnar nerve inflammation), Jimmy Herget (right shoulder impingement) and Chase Dollander (right elbow strain) to name a few, the Rockies — and every MLB team — always have players dealing with and recovering from injuries.
This keeps the Colorado training staff busy year-round. It also means they form close relationships with the players.
“We know a lot about the guys. In fact, when I was early in my career, the saying was ‘If you want to know about the player, ask the trainer,’” said Colorado assistant athletic trainer Any Stover said a Rockies Fest at Coors Field in January. “And I think that’s the whole truth. That’s one of the things that holds true.”
And it’s not just the players, but their families as well.
“One thing that people don’t realize is that we work for their families, too,” said Keith Dugger, the Rockies head athletic trainer. “So if somebody’s sick, or for their kids, we’re getting the pediatrician or doctors or family or OBGYNs, whatever it is. We’re kind of like the referral gatekeeper for the families, too.”
The day-to-day job
An average day throughout the season is busy for all members of the training staff. They have daily meetings, including before and after batting practice. They talk with players and give the coaching staff updates on the players.
“We give our status of our players and where we think they should be,” Dugger said. “We are the go-between for our management and the administrations to tell them, ‘Hey, you might either get him out of the game if it’s a blowout game,’ or ‘This would be a good day to get a break,’ or, ‘He’s played eight days in a row here,’ or ‘Altitude’s kicking his butt and he’s not sleeping. Let’s give him a break here on this next day game.’ So that’s kind of how we map out.”
A big part of gathering information on the players goes beyond what’s happening on the field.
“Players are real people too. They have real-life problems. They might not have slept. [Maybe] they have twins at home who kept them up all night,” Dugger continued. “So there is that pressure from outside that sometimes people don’t understand why they might be slacking on the field.”
The athletic staff works closely with the physical performance team to look at on-field production, strength and conditioning, what’s happening before and after games to help assess each player’s workload management.
Thanks to advancements in technology and sports science, the training team has lots of data to work with.
“We have tools, we have cameras now, we can look at how much somebody ran, how fast they ran. There’s a lot of things out there now,” Dugger said. “We have electronic devices that help us in the weight room, where maybe we’re doing the same exercises, but you’re talking about power. Now we have little machines that are telling us how much force they’re using, or how high they’re jumping.”
Injury prevention and management
A huge struggle is trying to prevent injuries, especially for pitchers in an era when major injuries and surgeries are more and more common.
“These guys are better, faster, stronger than they’ve ever been. More guys are throwing 100 miles an hour or harder, more than ever,” said Scott Murayama, the Rockies coordinator of major league rehabilitation. “We’re seeing a huge uptick in elbow injuries. I think that’s a legitimate fear of these guys getting hurt and trying to avoid that. The industry is definitely trying to get a handle on these arm injuries, but it’s tough.”
Whatever happens, the athletic team works together to assess, diagnose and make a plan. Murayama said they consider different perspectives, approaches, surgery options, and rehab possibilities that cater to each player, all while also focusing on injury prevention.
“The game’s changed. No doubt,” Dugger said. “Guys are throwing 100-plus miles per hour, which basically I call Ferraris. You can’t take Ferraris and drive them long distances all the time. They’re gonna be overworked, and that’s what happens with our bullpen or our starters.”
Dugger believes that the emphasis on velocity when players are young and the intense club circuits that youth players compete in can make players more susceptible to more serious injuries earlier in their careers. They may pitch faster, but they don’t pitch very many innings in high school or college. Then they are expected to take on large inning loads in their pro careers in longer seasons than they’ve ever played.
“One of the best predictors of the future is the history of the length a guy has thrown, if they’ve done it before, or if they’ve gradually made increments,” Dugger said. “It is a tougher game at this level. It’s a faster, longer season.”
Sometimes, when the Colorado training staff goes out on the field, it’s precautionary to check on something like a player being hit by a pitch. They talk with the player, decide he’s OK and retreat to the dugout. Other times, it’s more serious — like when Dugger has to remove a starting pitcher like Dollander in the second inning of his start against the Pirates on May 14.
Each situation and each player has to be handled differently, and each member of the training staff has their own role. This is why knowing the players so well is a vital part of the job.
“It’s like your own kids. You could be tougher on one individual than others. There are other guys you have to put your arm around, and kind of baby it, and you do little. Everyone’s a little bit different,” Dugger said. “I’m always the bad cop. They [as he pointed to the rest of the staff] are always the good cops. So I’m the mean guy.”
As of Thursday, May 21, the Rockies had one player on the 10-day IL (Brenton Doyle), four players on the 15-day IL and five on the 60-day IL. The athletic staff is managing the grind, helping players in their rehab (like Feltner’s Minor League ease in) and continuing to try to prevent and monitor each player. With a long season ahead, there is no doubt that the trainers will remain busy.
In a game to forget, the Isotopes were held scoreless for eight innings before Vimael Machín hit a solo homer in the ninth inning to prevent the shutout, while Las Vegas amassed 14 hits in a blowout win on Thursday. Machín and Cole Carrigg each posted two hits, combining for four of Albuquerque’s seven total. Valente Bellozo (0-3) took the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits with one strikeout and one walk, but the game really got out of hand when the Aviators scored six runs in the eighth.
Bryant Betancourt hit a two-run homer, Andy Perez doubled and tripled while driving in three runs and Jake Brooks threw a seven-inning gem to earn his first win of the season for the Yard Goats on Thursday. Brooks held the Fisher Cats to one run on a solo homer, six hits, four strikeouts and one walk to improve to 1-1 on the season. After falling behind 1-0 in the second, Betancourt hit his homer in the third to help Hartford take a lead it never lost. GJ Hill added a hit and scored a run and Conner Capel added a double and RBI.
Jack O’Dowd hit two homers, one with two runners on and his second with one runner on base, on a 3-for-4 night when he scored three runs to lead Spokane to a high-scoring victory on Thursday night. The Indians also took advantage of three Vancouver errors that led to four unearned runs. Tommy Hopfe added a two-run homer of his own, Jacob Hinderleider drove in two runs on two hits and scored a run and Robert Calaz also posted two hits and scored a run. Everett Catlett had a short, but effective start, giving up one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Nathan Blasick followed with 2.1 scoreless, hitless innings for the win with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Quakes took advantage of three singles, two walks and a fielding error to put up a four-run second inning, earning a lead they never lost against Fresno. Roldy Brito doubled, singled, scored a run and drove in a run for the Grizzlies, while Clayton Gray added two hits and a run and Tanner Thach also recorded two hits and drove in a run. Angel Jimenez took the loss, giving up six runs (five earned) on with five hits, five walks and six strikeouts.
After hitting the ground hard on a diving catch attempt on Wednesday, Brenton Doyle moved to the 10-day IL with a left oblique contusion on Thursday. The Rockies also made other roster moves, including bringing up Chad Smith.
In case you aren’t yet familiar with the Rockies newest call-up, here’s a nice feature on the infielder who made his Rockies debut on Thursday night in Arizona. You’ll learn about his success at Triple-A Albuquerque and his super-fan grandmother, who lives in Phoenix and is his biggest fan.
Patrick Saunders talks about the benefits of having Jake McCarthy on the roster this season. In addition to his speed, he’s been hitting better lately. This article has some good quotes from Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 20: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his two-run home run with Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 20, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox are certainly not back yet, but at least the brand of baseball is improving.
Boston swept the Kansas City Royals and finished a road trip (with multiple series) with a winning record for the first time this season. The Red Sox are 22-27 and keep creeping closer to .500, not that that should be some cause for celebration.
If nothing else, Boston looks better than the disaster that took place over the first month of the season. The Red Sox are 10-8 in May and reached that mark without Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet. In this delusional reality, the ballclub in the midst of a frustrating start sits just two games out of a playoff game.
That’s not to say they’re good yet. That’s not to say the wild-card race matters in May. What it does mean is that it’s pretty insane that they’re not out of the realm of contention by any means.
Give credit to the quality starting pitching and improved defense that’s dragged an insufficient lineup to a solid month of May so far. But at the end of the day, this conversation goes beyond the Red Sox. The real story here is that the American League is realistically in Year 3 of legitimate mediocrity.
As of Thursday, there are FIVE TEAMS in the American League with a winning record. Five! For reference, nine teams in the National League are over .500.
This issue stretches back the last two seasons as well. No AL team won more than 94 games in that stretch and postseasons formed without a true standout team. The Yankees cakewalked through the American League Central duo of the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians to reach the 2024 World Series before a swift defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Red Sox made the postseason with 89 wins in 2025. That’s the new reality of the American League. Gone are the juggernauts of even the end of the 2010s. Remember, the AL had three teams win 100 games or more in 2018 and the Red Sox beat the other two (Yankees, Astros) to win the World Series.
So this is not the powerhouse American League we’ve known for most of the 21st century. Instead, it’s a swirling pool of mediocrity without a king to take control. It’s unfortunate for baseball, but in this case, it’s beneficial for the Red Sox.
Despite the rough start that cost Alex Cora and several coaches their jobs, Boston can still realistically fight to play for October the rest of the way. The path to a division title is probably already gone as the team trails the Tampa Bay Rays by 11 ½ games for the top spot in the East.
The melting pot of fringe teams and six playoff spots is just the perfect storm for the Red Sox to do just enough the rest of the way under interim manager Chad Tracy.
It’s wild to think about how little it takes to be a playoff team in the American League. For the Red Sox’s sake, they should be thankful.
The Chicago Blackhawks are entering the off-season with multiple pending free agents. Matt Grzelcyk is among them, as the 32-year-old defenseman is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Grzelcyk was a decent veteran blueliner for the Blackhawks this season, as he recorded 12 assists in 69 games and was a good mentor for their younger players. Yet, with the Blackhawks' blueline being crowded, it is possible that Chicago will move on from the 10-year veteran.
Due to this, let's look at three teams that could target Grzelcyk if he hits the free agent market this summer.
Pittsburgh Penguins
It would not be particularly surprising if the Penguins considered reuniting with Grzelcyk this off-season. The Charlestown, Massachusetts native had the best season of his NHL career with Pittsburgh in 2024-25, as he set career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. With this, the possibility of the Penguins targeting Grzelcyk this off-season should not be ruled out.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks need to add to their defensive depth badly this off-season. They are entering the summer with several pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) defensemen. Due to this, they could be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to Grzelcyk. He could fit on their bottom pairing and could be a good mentor for the Sharks' young players if brought in.
The Philadelphia Flyers should be looking to improve their defensive group during the off-season. The free-agent market could have some interesting options to consider this year.
Because of this, let's look at three defensemen the Flyers could look to target if they hit the market on July 1.
Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights
If the Flyers want to improve the right side of their blueline, Rasmus Andersson stands out as a clear potential target. He would give the Flyers a proven top-four defenseman who works in all situations and provides a bit of everything. In 81 games this campaign split between the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights, the 29-year-old blueliner had 17 goals, 47 points, and 149 blocks. He currently has four assists in 13 playoff games for Vegas.
Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks
If the Flyers want to boost their blueline, Mario Ferraro stands out as a prime potential target. The 27-year-old blueliner is a steady shutdown left-shot defenseman who would give the Flyers' blueline more bite. He could fit nicely on either their second or third pairing due to his ability to play both sides. He would also be a clear option for their penalty kill if signed. In 82 games this season with the San Jose Sharks, he posted seven goals, 23 points, 137 hits, and 150 blocks.
Darren Raddysh, Tampa Bay Lightning
If the Flyers want a purely offensive defenseman, Darren Raddysh is the big fish of this year's free agency class. The 30-year-old just had a monster season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he recorded 22 goals, 48 assists, and 70 points in 73 games. He also had 10 goals and 26 points on the power play, so he would provide Philadelphia's power play with a major boost if signed.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Alex Caruso #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I am obsessed with the historical occurrence of the fad.
Fad is a word that sounds contemporary but is actually much older, having been coined back in the 1830s as a probable variation of the French word ‘fadaise’ (meaning a trifle and/or nonsense), which was ultimately derived from the Latin ‘fatuus’, which is basically another word for stupid.
And there have been a lot of stupid fads. Some have become lovable and enduring forms of nostalgic lore, like The Macarena, the Hacky Sack, andthe Hula Hoop. Others serve as an external testament to human gullibility and the power of marketing, like the Pet Rock, the Sauna Suit, and vibrating exercise belts.
No longer confined to the “fashion-craze” 1880’s definition of the word, the fad lives on as a societal organism, even in the age of the algorithm. It existed long before the word that we now use for it, and has endured through every phase of recorded history and technological advancement.
We’ve even cycled through a few in the NBA.
‘Positionless’ basketball. The proliferation of small-ball centers. The theoretical softness of European players. The idea that ‘tweeners’ (players who didn’t slot into a traditional 1-5) should be avoided in spite of skill.
There’s even one that’s become an integral part of the modern game: the ABA three-point line.
My favorite fad was introduced to the world in the early 90’s, an epoch rife with Pogs, and Slap Bracelets, with the immortal and quotidian Furby to come, perched upon the sculptured bust above my chamber door.
Magic Eye pictures, also known as autostereograms, were all the rage when I was child.
First published in books in 1991, autostereograms are two-dimensional images that can create the optical illusion of a three-dimensional picture within the 2D image when vision is manipulated in a specific way by the viewer.
One must look past the image in order to see this, to engage Stereopsis (a trick of depth perception caused by the different perspective each eye has of a three-dimensional scene), which is a difficult thing to explain to a 4-year-old.
I wanted to see the pictures so badly. My father did his best to help. He told me to focus on the two dots above the picture, and then relax my eyes until they turned into three, and then look down. No dice.
He told me to touch my nose to the picture, stare into space, and then slowly pull back. No luck there either.
Tantalized by the knowledge of pictures just beyond my sight, I stared at them for hours, patiently (and impatiently) waiting for something, anything, to pop out of the frame in the way that so many had described.
Staring at my television in Game 2, I found myself doing the same thing; trying to will myself into some vision beyond what I was seeing play out on the screen.
The officiating was jarring. Wemby was being manhandled both inside the paint and outside it by an unleashed and unchecked Isaiah Hartenstein. De’Aaron Fox was out recovering from a re-aggravated injury from the series before. Harper made his way up the tunnel, made a bid to escape Spurs staffers, and then vanished into the locker room yet again, with no one certain of the cause.
Stephon Castle was yanked about by the hair and fired errant passes with an air of increasing desperation and chagrin. And the physicality all but barred Keldon from his usual forays into the paint, as he went 4-12 and found himself being targeted by the swan-diving Thunder.
And it wasn’t that I couldn’t get the picture. I more or less had it by the end of the 3rd quarter. This was a loss.
It was one-sided, and ugly, and exactly the kind of defeat that could send even the most composed Spurs fans into a spiral, and that included me.
I was straining to see what the picture within the picture was.
What were all of these repeating frames and violations composing out of their shape and redundancy? I restarted the game after it was over and continued to stare at it, just as I had the Magic Eye books of my youth.
Everything seemed bad. It just did. There were a lot of things that I could tell myself to feel better, but the more I thought about it, the worse things seemed. The Spurs were down to one of their three all-star caliber guards. Both Game 1 and Game 2 had been called fairly unevenly, even though Game 2 had now glaringly overshadowed it.
Even if one (or both) of said guards returned, there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t be ushered right back off of the court if the same degree of physicality was going to be allowed. And even if it wasn’t, that was no guarantee of effectiveness from players with potentially nagging injuries.
An hour so later, I went back to bed, no clearer on the matter than before.
And it wasn’t until the following afternoon, sitting in my truck, locked out of my home and waiting on a locksmith, that it clicked for me. I was crossing my eyes.
It was something I had figured out after enough time spent gazing at autostereograms with no result. If I crossed my eyes on purpose, instead of waiting for them to adjust, I could make the shapes appear.
Instead of popping out of the frame, they would sink into it, creating the impression of the hidden shape. I was thrilled by this development until I told my father about it.
“You won’t be able to see all of the details that way”, he said to me, frowning slightly. “That’s why I didn’t tell you about it. I wanted you to be able to see the whole picture.”
The whole picture. That’s what I was missing. And the thing is, as I had eventually learned, you kind of have to relax in order to see it. And relaxation isn’t exactly one’s first instinct after a game like that.
So, closing my eyes, I went back over the game in my mind.
I saw Julian Champagnie and Castle going a combined 2-13 from three, a trend likely to reverse itself. I saw Devin Vassell putting in savvy work against Jaylin Williams, Jared McCain, and Isaiah Joe while dropping bombs near max efficiency. I saw Jordan McLaughlin put in quality minutes with little to no preparation, boding well if he has to play more, and becoming positive by default if Harper and/or Fox are able to play.
And then I saw the shape pop right out of the background. Long. Rangy. Swatting everything in sight and reach.
The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama. That’s the big picture. That’s the trump card that they have that the Thunder don’t. Sure, they forestalled him for a game. On their home court. With foul calls going almost entirely in their favor (or largely uncalled). After he bent Game 1 to his will like a raging Kaiju let loose in Oklahoma City.
This strategy of unchecked physicality is just a fad. Teams have been trying it out one after another because that’s the fashion. That’s what coaches, and front offices, and talking heads are thinking will work. They’re clinging to anything that offers some modicum of success. They’re hoping that it’ll stop Wemby.
But it hasn’t for long. It works in fits in starts — in sometimes, and quarters and halves.
It’s not a long-term solution. It hasn’t won a series. It’s not here to stay.
In the context of economic studies, fads are mean-reverting deviations from intrinsic value caused by social or psychological forces. They succeed only as a temporary extension of misguided belief, and then return to the mean.
Like mutton-chops, and hoverboards, and chopines (platform shoes), they exist as residue of human envy and enthusiasm for that which is novel and (often) absurd, and sometimes become a part of the fabric of civilization in enduring ways. Entire eras are colored and defined by them.
It’s possible that they are the debris of humanity itself. That they’ll cease to occur in the same gap of time that we cease to exist. But so long as the Spurs have Wemby, I expect them to keep popping up.
That’s how much players and teams are grasping at straws. The fads are the sign of the times.
And this is the time of the Wemby.
Takeways
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t big on Stephon Castle out of his draft class, but I knew the Spurs needed guards, and I did think that (if he could improve his shooting) he had a shot at becoming a pretty decent combo-guard. I was resigned to the Spurs drafting Castle, but I was really hoping they’d draft Jared McCain with their other 1st rounder (not being able to imagine a world where they landed Dylan Harper the following year). I say this so that you understand when I say that Castle has completely won me over. After a couple of months, I pronounced him Jrue Holiday 2.0, which I meant/mean as an absolute compliment. Holiday was one of my most desired players coming out of college ever (after LaMarcus Aldridge and Gordon Hayward), and I consider him to be the best two-way guard of the last decade. The thing is, though, that Holiday has historically been at his best running the point in stints, and sharing the back-court with other guards like Derrick White, Dame Lillard, and Steph Curry, and/or heavy assist forwards like Giannis, Middleton, Avdija, and Draymond Green. The same appears to be true of Castle, who creates value in so many ways that it’s really hard to fault him, or even really consider it much of a shortcoming. With Fox and Harper both out, though, it came to the forefront in a historically ugly way, and he and the coaching staff are going to have to figure this out, even in the event of the return of one (or both) of those guards. In fact, I’d like to see them go out of their way to make a point early in the next game that appropriate adjustments have been made and ram the ball down the Thunder’s collective throats. Castle has that kind of work ethic, fire, and grit, and I’m certain that he can do it with a strategy session beforehand.
I’m starting to think that the Spurs need to kick the tires on French Vanilla if/when the Thunder try to go back to some of their rough-and-tumble paint hijinks. As I understood it, this is exactly the sort of thing that Kornet was brought in for, so it’s odd not to see him used in that way, especially if the Spurs are content to just let Caruso fire away. If you’re gonna give that guy open threes, then who cares if you play two bigs? It just feels like a natural counter that needs to be shown when the Thunder play that hand, as I’m sure they will again.
After some inconsistent shooting performances, Devin Vassell has improved his shooting with every round. He shot 42 and 44% in the first two rounds, and 35% from three. So far, he’s been absolutely huge in this round, upping his shooting from the field to 46% and his long-distance shooting to 43%, in addition to the largely outstanding defense he’s put on display in the postseason. I know I’ve talked a lot about how insanely good Kornet and Champagnie’s contracts are, but even at 27 million, Vassell is giving them a real run for their money in terms of value, and his salary actually *drops* next year! San Antonio’s front office has to be the envy of just about every owner in the league, be they spend-happy or thrifty beyond belief. And to think they did it without cutting every reasonable expense in the process. I’m guessing that guy in Portland thinks he can outdo them, and boy, would I like to sell him the site of Iowa’s one-and-only shark attack if he thinks he can make that work.
After what seemed like a very long wait, the Eastern Conference Final finally got underway on Thursday night. After days of analysis, most pundits heavily favored the Carolina Hurricanes, who hadn’t lost a game in these playoffs yet, over the Montreal Canadiens, who had to fight tooth and nail to get out of the Atlantic Division in 14 games. Much had been said about the fact that Rod Brind’Amour’s men had 11 days of rest while Martin St-Louis had only just finished their series on Monday night, but it didn’t look like it once the puck dropped.
Frederik Anderson entered the game with a 1.12 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage after his team swept both the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Danish goaltender had yet to allow more than two goals in a game since the start of the postseason, but that changed in a hurry.
While the Canadiens struggled out of the gate against the Buffalo Sabres, having to adapt to a much faster pace of play than what they had experienced in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, it wasn’t the case this time around. Taking on Lindy Ruff’s men was the perfect preparation to take on the Canes, and even though Montreal surrendered the first goals after just 33 seconds of play, the Habs stormed right back into the game.
The Canadiens scored the fastest four playoff goals in franchise history in just over 10 minutes. More importantly, though, the first one came from Cole Caufield, at even strength, with assists from Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, getting that top line off to a great start in that series. Montreal then got a pair of goals from depth scorer Phillip Danault and Alexandre Texier, before Ivan Demidov dazzled Andersen with some fancy stickhandling to make it 4-1.
At that stage, the Canes looked to be wondering what had happened, and it was quite simple: they had met their first opponent from the top five of the standings. The Habs play at a much faster pace than the Senators or the Flyers, and it showed. Carolina needed a period to adjust.
Shooting Range
The second frame was lopsided as the Hurricanes took 11 shots on Dobes while the Canadiens could only muster three, not that it’s all that surprising. Carolina likes to shoot often and pretty much from everywhere, while the Habs are very much a quality-over-quantity kind of side.
The only goal of the period came after a bad change by the Canadiens, which led to an odd-man rush that proved costly when Eric Robinson scored. It was bad timing for Caufield to hit the post at one end and for the Canes to regain possession as the Habs had already started changing.
Still, the Canadiens were lucky to go back to their dressing room with a two-goal lead as Dobes did spill a puck that just trickled out, just by the post.
Bouncing Right Back
Montreal didn’t wait until the next game to bounce back from that underwhelming period; they came out determined to seal the deal and played a very good, disciplined, and smart game in that final frame. 15 minutes into the third frame, they hadn’t even allowed a shot on goal, including on a penalty kill. Carolina only managed two shots in the last 20 minutes.
Not only did they defend well in that frame, but seven minutes in, Slafkovsky scored the Canadiens’ fifth goal of the game, which “sucked all the air out of the building,” as a wise man once said. The power forward got assists from both of his teammates on that one, but it was his superb individual effort that allowed him to score. He got through the Hurricanes’ defence like a hot knife through butter with an astute toe-drag and a picture-perfect shot to beat Andersen. That performance made you wonder whether it was the same Slafkovsky who played against Buffalo.
The big Slovak added an empty-netter, the final nail in the Hurricanes' coffin, as the Canadiens took Game 1 by a score of 6-2. By scoring five goals on Andersen in the first game, Montreal scored as many goals against him as both Ottawa and Philadelphia scored in their four-game series.
A successful first game for the Canadiens’ top line, who combined for eight points on the night, all at even-strength. The coach will no doubt have appreciated the fact that they were also able to successfully protect an early lead, even if it wasn’t a walk in the park, especially in the second frame, but Dobes was ready.
They swiftly addressed questions looming about the future of head coach Steve Kerr and whether he'd call it quits. Kerr re-signed with the Warriors on a multi-year deal that will keep him as the highest paid coach. That was step one. Check.
Their next order of business includes scouting talent for upcoming prospects, but also planning package deals as they look to remain active during the offseason, fielding trade offers from other teams.
"I think we're in a different place now. Right, there's no question. And I've talked to Mike (Dunleavy, the Warriors GM), I mean, I don't know the draft, but he feels really strongly that we're going to get a good player. It could be a 19 year old, it could be someone older," Kerr told reporters.
That means to be competitive during trade talks, the Warriors will have to be aggressive in the players they go after, and offer packages that doesn't completely deplete their team. The Warriors could use a dominant two-way wing or an elite frontcourt player.
Here's a list of players the Warriors could look to add this offseason:
Golden State Warriors trade targets
These are a handful of trade targets that would make sense to push the Warriors back into postseason contention.
Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
Pairing Kawhi Leonard with Stephen Curry would give the Warriors a defensive presence that is on the level of Draymond Green, while simultaneously providing them another scorer and go-to option in late-game situations to relieve pressure from Curry. With Leonard expecting $50 million, the wonder is whether the Warriors have the cache to make it happen. One player who made the case? Green on his podcast.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State has held discussions with Milwaukee in attempts to acquire GiannisAntetokounmpo around the trade deadline during the regular season, but talks fizzled out. Antetokounmpo fits the timeline and positional needs for the Warriors: A two-way player and front court force on the inside. There hasn't been any reports of an official offer for the swap. In order to make the deal happen, it might take a haul including Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, the No. 11 overall pick, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick and a 2032 first-round pick.
Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets
Aaron Gordon is reportedly made available in trade talks and is being shopped. Gordon and the Warriors haven't been linked by any reports. It's just a basketball fit that would benefit both parties. Gordon could give the Warriors, and Curry, a few more years of playoff contention and championship relevance.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
The Warriors need an inside presence, especially if they don't bring back Kristaps Porzingis. Joel Embiid seems to be a name that people want to see in the Bay Area. Former NBA player Jeff Teague said on his podcast Club 520 that he believes Embiid would be effective for Curry.
"I think they might get Embiid," Teague said. "I can see them getting Embiid. ...This is just me thinking out loud. They're going to trade Draymond (Green) and someone else and go for Embiid. I think so. I'm thinking you gotta make a splash. You can't get Giannis, you can't get Kawhi. You gotta get somebody that's effective for Steph. The only most-available person is Embiid."
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
Trey Murphy fits the mold of what the Warriors are looking for in a two-way wing player. The bad news is that the Pelicans have been reluctant to deal him, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson. Murphy seems like he's considered an untouchable asset, but if the Warriors could convince the Pels to change their mind, that would be a great pickup.
Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Michael Porter Jr. should not be wasting talent in Brooklyn. He can contribute to a contending team. It's why the Warriors make sense. Golden State needs someone who adds versatility on the wing. Porter at 6-foot-10 can defend multiple positions, but he's known mostly for providing floor-spacing offensively and being able to knock down open shots. If the Warriors trade for Porter, they would add a more realistic scoring and shooting option on the wing.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Sheldon Keefe speaks after the game against the Buffalo Sabres at Prudential Center on February 25, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Keefe’s first two seasons as the Devils’ head coach were a disappointment, but retaining him for the 2026-27 season makes sense. Here’s why that’s the case.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“Mehta has stated he believes the Devils can compete right away. He’s not going to waste another season of this core on a coach he’s not sold on so he can ‘play it safe’ and have a little more rope in a job he just took. Mehta kept Keefe because he believes it is in the best interest of the team, and that’s a perfectly justifiable decision.” [Infernal Access]
“My gut instinct is to say that the Devils’ goaltending woes up until 2024-25 were simply by virtue of employing subpar goalies, but it is pretty undeniable that their goalies in the aggregate have performed worse with Rogalski as their coach.” [Devils’ Advocates]
“The PWHL, according to sources, has added another women’s hockey legend to their roster of staff hiring Meghan Duggan as a general manager for one of their remaining two vacancies. Duggan has spent the past five seasons working as the Director of Player Development for the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.” [The Hockey News]
Hockey Links
An impressive performance from the Habs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final:
Mock draft season! A look ahead predicting all 63 picks of the first two rounds: [The Athletic ($)]
“Troy Terry will have surgery to repair chronic hip impingement and his status for the start of next season for the Anaheim Ducks is unknown.” [NHL.com]
Montreal Victoire are PWHL champs:
POUR LA VICTOIRE ‼️
THE MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE ARE THE 2026 PWHL WALTER CUP CHAMPIONS!
LA VICTOIRE DE MONTRÉAL SONT LES CHAMPIONNES DE LA COUPE WALTER 2026 DE LA LPHF! pic.twitter.com/qVPKbm5jmk
It is a tough time to be a Detroit Tigers fan after watching their beloved team get swept at home by the Cleveland Guardians this week in four games. The Motor City Kitties have now lost six straight, nine of the last 10, and 14 of the last 16 — that last stat is just one loss short of the worst stretch (2-15) the franchise experienced during the abysmal 2019 campaign from June 13 to July 13.
Perhaps the good news is that AJ Hinch’s squad hits the road this weekend to face a struggling Baltimore Orioles team that is coming off a series sweep at the Tampa Bay Rays and has just one victory in its last six tries. It is truly a veritable crap vs crap matchup on deck here; if the Tigers continue to flail, things are looking really rough as we approach the 1/3 season mark.
To open things up at Camden Yards, Detroit turns to right-hander Jack Flaherty, who has posted an 8.41 ERA and 5.57 FIP over his last five starts stretching across 20 1/3 innings. The bright spot is the fact that the 30-year-old gave his team six frames last time out — just the second time this season he reached that mark.
The last time Flaherty saw the O’s was in 2024 with the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Aug. 27, when he earned a quality start for his six-inning effort that saw him allow three runs on six hits (two home runs) and two walks with five strikeouts in a game that he got saddled with the loss.
Opposite him is fellow righty Chris Bassitt, who has had three strong outings so far, while the others were nothing to write home about. However, his last start was not one of those — the 37-year-old allowed four runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk with four strikeouts over five frames to earn a loss against the Washington Nationals.
Bassitt’s last appearance against Detroit came on July 19, 2024, with the Blue Jays in Toronto, in which he allowed five runs on six hits (two home runs) and a walk while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings to earn the loss.
Take a look at how the two match up on Friday night. Make note that this game will be broadcast on Apple TV.
Detroit Tigers (20-31) vs. Baltimore Orioles (21-29)
Time (ET): 7:15 p.m. Place: Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland SB Nation Site:Camden Chat Media: Apple TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 52: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-5, 5.77 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (3-3, 5.44 ERA)
Feb 12, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets first baseman Ryan Clifford (87) works during a Spring Training workout at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Syracuse and Buffalo went back and forth in this one. They were tied after one, and Syracuse trailed 3-2 in the third, and 4-2 after five, before the Mets broke out in a big way. Singles by Jackson Cluff and Christian Arroyo tied the game after four, and a four run sixth — headlined by a Ryan Clifford bases clearing double — made it 9-4 Mets. Buffalo made it a game again with two runs in the top of the eighth, but a three run bottom of the frame for the Mets put the game away.
3B Christian Arroyo: 1-4, 2 RBI, K
1B Ryan Clifford: 1-4, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB, K
DH Eric Wagaman: 2-3, R, HR (2), RBI, 2 BB
LF Ji Hwan Bae: 2-5, R, 2 RBI
2B Yonny Hernández: 2-5, R, K
CF Cristian Pache: 1-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K
C Ben Rortvedt: 1-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, K
SS Jackson Cluff: 1-1, 3 R, 3 BB
RF Matt Rudick: 1-3, R, RBI, SB (1)
RHP Xzavion Curry: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Danis Correa: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (1-0)
RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
LHP Anderson Severino: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Dylan Ross: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Nate Lavender: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, S (1)
Blowout is the key word of the day in Mets minor league land, but this one was more of a blowout in theory than execution. Binghamton and Richmond held each other scoreless through the first five innings, with Binghamton finally breaking through in the sixth, plating two runs on an Eli Serrano double. Richmind would tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, sending the game into the ninth tied at two.
The top of the ninth was an outrageous inning, as Binghamton plated seven runs to turn this into a laugher. The scoring started with a misplay in center field that saw two runs come home, making it 4-2. Vincent Perozo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 5-2, and three walks with the bases loaded made it 8-2. A sac fly would put the exclamation point on a bizarre inning, and a Binghamton win.
SS Marco Vargas: 2-4, R, RBI, BB, K, SB (11)
3B Jacob Reimer: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K
RF Eli Serrano III: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K
LF Jose Ramos: 0-3, R, BB, 2 K, SB (4)
CF D’Andre Smith: 0-4, R, RBI, K
DH Nick Lorusso: 0-3, R, BB, K, SB (2)
1B JT Schwartz: 0-3, R, BB
C Vincent Perozo: 0-3, R, RBI, 2 K
2B Wyatt Young: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB
RHP R.J. Gordon: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
LHP Max Green: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 WP
LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (1)
RHP Douglas Orellana: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, BS (1), W (4-0)
RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
A three run first and a four run fourth made it a 7-0 deficit for the Cyclones, which they simply did not recover from. They scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, and one in the fifth, but the game was over virtually before it started.
CF Yonatan Henriquez: 0-4, 3 K
RF John Bay: 1-3, R, 2B, 2 K
1B Corey Collins: 0-2, RBI, 2 K
LF JT Benson: 0-3, RBI, K
C Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, R, HR (2), RBI, K
SS Colin Houck: 0-3, 3 K, E (6)
DH Trace Willhoite: 1-3, R, 2B, K
3B Nick Roselli: 0-2, BB, 2 K
2B Diego Mosquera: 1-2, BB, K
RHP Noah Hall: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 0 K. 1 HBP, L (0-4)
RHP Bryce Jenkins: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Game two somehow went worse than game one for Brooklyn. They gave up the same seven runs, though this time it was two in the first and five in the fifth, but they mustered just two hits and one walk. It was simply a bad day at the ballpark in a bad season for the Brooklyn Cyclones, who move to an 11-31 record after the double header sweep.
2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-3, 2 K, 2 E (1, 2)
SS Mitch Voit: 0-3
C Ronald Hernandez: 0-2, BB, K
CF John Bay: 1-3, SB (10)
DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-3
LF JT Benson: 0-2, K
3B Colin Houck: 0-2, K
1B Trace Willhoite: 0-2, K
RF Sam Biller: 0-2, 2 K
RHP Hoss Brewer: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, L (1-2)
RHP Cristofer Gomez: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Dakota Hawkins: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Ryan Dollar: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP
RHP Juan Arnaud: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Diego Mosquera: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
St. Lucie actually led in this game, 2-0 after one, by way of a pair of doubles by Randy Guzman and Yohairo Cuevas, and 3-2 after three, on a triple by Cuevas. It would fall apart from there.
An eight run fifth followed by a five run seventh saw Palm Beach turn this into a blowout. Palm Beach also added three in the ninth on poor Kevin Villavicencio, a position player.
SS Branny De Oleo: 1-5, 2 K, E (7)
LF-P Kevin Villavicencio: 0-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB (2)
Apr 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher JT Realmuto (10) runs to first after hitting a single against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Memorial Day weekend begins now. Or this evening, for most of us. Whenever it starts, have a good weekend.
