#2017 offseason

[sportsthoughts]

Day 138 of offseason gifs - In The Room S06E08 - celebrating the 2017 Stanley Cup

[joeys-babe]

Imagine Universe Key

Baby, I Love You

A fun dating dynamic and lots of friend group content!

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: September 3, 2017

Relationship status: Dating (Boyf and Girlf)

Children: None

Fic count: Two

Last Updated: September 23, 2023

——

My Girl

Family vibes with a side of smut!

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: August 15, 2017

Relationship status: Married (February, 2023)

Children: Savanna May

Fic count: Five

Last Updated: October 31, 2023

——

Into The Mystic

Family-oriented, high school sweethearts, pranks, and a little smut!

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: December, 2014

Relationship status: Married (Offseason after SB)

Children: Twins (Tyson and Miles), a baby girl on the way!

Fic count: Thirty-three

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

——

Everlasting Love

Age gap, angst, right person wrong time…

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: December 20, 2022

Relationship status: Dating (Boyf and Girlf)

Children: None.

Fic count: Six

Last Updated: January 1, 2024

——

Just the Two of Us

Key life events, they're so in love, mostly smut.

Joe and y/n’s anniversary: December 9, 2017

Relationship status: Engaged (February 14, 2024)

Children: None.

Fic count: Six

Last Updated: March 10, 2024

[oosaoosaoosa]

The Essential USWNT Friendship Series: Kelley and Sonnett

Who you are: a person who has stumbled across this post because you are gay, and/or someone who wants to get into the women's world cup and the USWNT but whose fandom experience requires knowledge of the Narratives And Friendships

What this isn’t: an endorsement of being weird to players in public spaces (in real life or comment sections, or on unlocked Twitter accounts)

What this is: a (hopefully) comprehensive collection and explanation of the (public!) friendship between two fan-favorite members of the 2023 WC squad

I know I’m missing stuff and it’s likely I’ll come back to add to this! Every time I try to add anything to this post the draft editor throws me an error message so consider this a part one. Please note this is a sideblog 🫶🏼

EMILY SONNETT

29 (as of the beginning of the  2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born in Virginia, but raised in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia 

Attended the University of Virginia, graduated with a degree in Sociology 

Was originally a midfielder, later converted to defense. Primarily plays centerback, but can play fullback on either side, and defensive mid

She is a Sagittarius (this is important)

KELLEY O’HARA

34 (as of the beginning of the  2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born and raised in the southern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia

Attended Stanford University, graduated with a degree in science, technology and society with a focus in environmental engineering

Was originally a forward (and in fact won the Hermann Trophy as college soccer’s top player, as a forward) but converted to play fullback on either side 

She is a Leo (I told you it was important. Twin fire signs 🔥)

THE BASICS

Sonnett’s first cap was against Brazil on October 25, 2015–she started and played all 90 minutes as a centerback (beside Becky). Kelley was on the bench. 

On Feb 15, 2016 they played together for the first time! They both started against Puerto Rico and Kelley scored!

Kelley was a good mentor to Sonny immediately, her little Georgia peach padawan

They didn’t appear to really get close until winter 2016-2017, when they trained together in Atlanta during the offseason and started to hang out in a smaller group and one on one 

Eventually they played on the same team (Washington Spirit in the 2021 and 2022 seasons) and won a championship together! (2021)

It was Kelley's first NWSL playoff run and her first championship, but Sonny's second championship (she won with the Thorns a few years before)

Kelley scored the game-winner in the championship final, in overtime, as a header. She does not typically score, much less with her head (she is like 5'4'' on a good day). It was insane.

------------

PRE-SPIRIT

Once they were friends they were BEST FRIENDS. Kelley loves to annoy Sonnett and has since day one. Couples massage!!, training together with Moe Brian

Typical rookie/vet prank but cuter because they're besties: BOO!

They drink coffee together: Sonnett Sunday, theee Kelley O'Hara,

Sonny is secretly an artist (seriously, she can draw): Lactose Tolerant Cow

They dance together so much. Seriously, so much (bonus Rose). In the car, anywhere.

They hype each other up: Snacks at the beach, blue on navy, flexin, cutest sports girl ever, Sonnett is an undercover singer,

Even their friends have pointed out their similarities. Are they the same or are they the same?

The 2019 World Cup parade was deeply chaotic: please beer and god they drank nonstop idk how they survived, they also napped on the plane back from france with pinoe and ashlyn

they help each other out: cold towel, guest coach kelley,

They threw out the first pitch for the Braves after the World Cup (with Mal, whose husband Dansby played for the Braves at the time)

They also made an appearance at an Atlanta United game together

They were chaotic in every team picture, X,

they took on the Tokyo olympics together (feat many teammates)

they were extremely annoying in the BFF quiz while Kelley and Alex tried to win (link to the BFF quiz episode below in required viewing section)

THE SPIRITS

Sonny's e-bike is their bike, not her bike, but sometimes they biked together too

More coffee adventures, in DC this time, X + X

Mentoring rookies, but this time together

When half the Spirit got COVID in 2021 and had to quarantine at a hotel in Portland, somehow they did not get tired of each other

Exploring restaurants together

Taking pictures of each other (they called each other Rick and Morty for a while which I try to forget), & with their bikes, & with matching orange beanies, more matching orange beanies

more dancing and celebrating, even celebrating carli as a duo, celebrating moving onto the nwsl final

getting jumpscared by their own rookies...together this time

being stinky and sweaty together and generally chaotic

cheering on the braves together on kelley's couch, being very loud and annoying

celebrating the spirit championship together, X + X + schwasted dancing with Kelley's girl together, doing a tiktok with Trinity and the trophy, making memes out of their championship cellies

showing off their championship rings together and celebrating the CBA signing at Audi together

they went to DC pride with the spirits

they developed this weird euopean cheek kissing thing

clowning in huddles together and doing tiktoks with the kids

Being annoying on the player's pod they recorded with Trinity and Andi (link to the pod below in the required watching section)

Still hyping each other up, of course: nice kick!, sonny's soft spirit fingers

POST-SPIRIT

Kelley took a pic of her abs when she got cleated at the CONCACAF tournament in 2022 and in solidarity, Sonny nearly took her shirt off

still taking lots of pictures and videos of each other, mostly Kelley. (I'm putting this in post-Spirit because although we didn't know it yet, Kelley already knew she was leaving DC)

Kelley literally left the Atlanta airport during her layover to hang out with Sonny on her birthday

loving on their Spirit rookies together, even after Kelley was off to NJ, +1 (Trinity's first goal in the 2023 WWC Send-off game)

celebrating Mal's wedding together with Andi and Rose

bringing each other up in every conversation

Being annoying about Taylor Swift

Sonnett almost killed Kelley within the first 30 seconds of them playing against each other for Gotham and the Reign and Kelley thought it was hilarious

OTHER PHOTO DUMPS / COLLECTIONS

Georgia girls

Glued together in Tokyo

More Spirits shenanigans

NT Camp besties

Kelley's visit to Portland in 2019

Hyping each other up in Instagram comments

General camp/NT shenanigans including the infamous "you're so wiggly" video

2019 WC Parade ridiciulousness

More coffee! Plus a cookie (and a "cookie")

MISC PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I JUST HAVE LYING AROUND

more of Kelley mentoring rookie Sonny on the NT

Kelley and Sonny in Atlanta in 2016 or 2017 (I don't remember exactly, I also cropped Moe Brian out of this but it was 800 years ago, sorry Moe)

A moment caught in the background of a post-2019-final celebration picture

Pre-2021 NWSL championship moments: not impressed with someone's pregame speech, Sonny wore 6 for the Spirit so they were neighbors, something Sonny was saying with her mouth full was very interesting to Kelley ,

Some more Spirit NWSL championship moments: they can't believe it, Kelley was beside herself, tongues out for the gals, I would pay to know what Kelley said here, another moment where I would love a transcript,

REQUIRED VIEWING

Kelley's episode of Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy, where a few of her best friends surprise her with an appearance, including Sonny, Allie Long and Alex Morgan

The BFF Quiz Championship, moderated by Sonnett

The Player's Pod with Sonnett, Andi Sullivan, and Trinity Rodman

1v1 with Kelley O'Hara (pre-camp 2023 WWC)

Throwing the first pitch out with Sonnett, Kelley and Mal

[idontlikeem]

I know you’ve been around the 2014-15 season, but do you remember what was the general vibe on the Pens that offseason? Think that was the height of the media hit pieces on The Core after Chicago won their 3rd Cup in 6 seasons while we just had one, and the Kessel trade happened shortly after. IIRC the mood was pretty down since our roster was so messy everyone wondered if we’d only end up with just 1 Cup. Shows that things can change fast in hockey you know?

yeah, it was a weird time. that season, they were coming off having blown a 3-1 series lead in the second round to the rangers and a subsequent housecleaning of the entire front office (the reported reaction to which gave us the delightful "they increasingly came to believe they're the only ones that have each other's back" quote). we had a new coach that was determined to throttle back the high-octane offense of the stars, and it started great- they won a TON the first part of that season, but the demands of this new play style and injuries wore on them, and IIRC that was the year that it took them until literally the 82nd game of the season to clinch their playoff spot, and then they got eliminated in the first round by- once again- the rangers.

the national media was totally convinced that sid and geno were a one-hit wonder and had peaked in 2009. the deals they signed were starting to be questioned. and then when the 15-16 season started and sid went through an epic production slump, people started wondering if this was how his career trajectory would go—one cup, his prime cut off by head injuries, and a long slow march towards mediocrity, saddling the team with his contract until they could feasibly put him on LTIR and send him away. fall of 2015 is also when we got geno saying "we're a little bit mad at each other" (multiple links because the audio is gone and each article has slightly different quotes), which sidney was quick to walk back for him lol. it really looked like this was going to be it, and the franchise and their legacies would become irrelevant.

and then GMJR fired johnston and hired sullivan, and sid started scoring again, and the team came together, and—well, we all know what happened in the spring of 2016, and again in the spring of 2017.

narratives really can turn around fast, can't they?

[rouzys]

THE UNOFFICIAL ST. LOUIS BLUES PRIMER PART 1 : FORWARDS

JORDAN KYROU (Rouzy)

Info: #25, RW, STL 35th in 2016 (listed as a center ? does not play center)

Last season: 37 goals + 73 pts (career high goals!)

History: played a handful of games in the 18-19 season, but his real rookie season was in 19-20 and was cut short due to covid. Broke out for real in the 20-21 season and in the 2022 offseason signed an 8 year contract extension !! Won the fastest skater competition at the 2021 all star game!

Profile: great goal scorer at his best, often passes for the "perfect play" instead of shooting. Not super physical

Other: besties with Robert Thomas, they even signed matching contracts <3

ROBERT THOMAS (A) (Thommer) (Tommer?)

Info: #18, C, STL 20th in 2017

Last season: 18 goals + 65 pts (team lead in assists !)

History: played most of the 18-19 season and won the cup as a rookie! Had a good season considering he was on a team of more dominant veterans, very notably received That One Hit from Krug in the SCF

Profile: Not a massive goal scorer but definitely can score, more of a playmaker. Struggles with overpassing for the perfect play. Resident faceoff man post-ROR trade.

Other: besties with Kyrou :)

PAVEL BUCHNEVICH (Buch)

Info: #89, LW, NYR 75th in 2013

Last season: 26 goals + 67 pts

History: traded to Blues in 2021 and immediately had a career season. Was good on the Rangers, is even better on the Blues.

Profile: Great goal scorer! Very good shorthanded this season, already has 2 SHG! Hasn't been his best year overall but would be surprised if he didn't get at least 20 goals

Other: has never played a full 82 game season

BRANDON SAAD (Saader)

Info: #20, LW, CHI 43rd in 2011

Last season: 19 goals + 27 pts

History: won 2 cups with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. Signed with the Blues in 2021 as a free agent

Profile: very consistent 20-ish goal scorer! Has been moved around the lineup quite a bit this season but is usually on the second or third line, great depth goal scorer

Other: not super relevant but inch resting to me, he was traded from Chicago to Columbus in the infamous Artemi Panarin trade

BRAYDEN SCHENN (C) (Schenner)

Info: #10, C, LAK 5th in 2009

Last season: 21 goals + 65 pts

History: important piece in the 18-19 cup season, scored a goal in game 7 of the SCF! Was an alternate captain for 3 seasons under ROR, currently his first season as captain :)

Profile: Usually a 20-ish goal scorer, production has suffered this year from being moved around the second and third lines

Other: I'm still jumpscared by him being in 2013-era Flyers fics to this day. He played on the Flyers with his brother Luke for several (4?) seasons !!

JAKE NEIGHBOURS (Jakey) (?)

Info: #63, LW, STL 26th in 2020

History: Technically in his sophomore season, was unexpectedly called up for 43 games last season + made the roster full time this year out of camp. Worked his way up from the fourth line to the first line before settling down to the second line after the coaching change. He's having whatever the opposite of a sophomore slump is! It's definitely been a breakout season for him so far

Profile: Good goal scorer, was briefly leading the team in goals. Very physical guy, doesn't take many penalties considering he's not afraid to throw himself around

Other: Roommates with rookie goalie Hofer, and they both spent the Christmas holidays with the Schenn family! They do a very cute little thing during the goalie headbutt line :)

SAMMY BLAIS

Info: #79, LW, STL 176th in 2014

Last season: 9 goals + 20 pts in 31 games post-trade deadline

History: Played on the 18-19 cup-winning team (was #9), traded to NYR (for Buchnevich) in 2021, scored NO GOALS in 2 seasons there, traded back in 2023 and scored career high 9 goals post trade deadline.

Profile: Usually a physical player, worked well on the relentless 2019 team. Struggling to find his place on the current team, sometimes a healthy scratch

KEVIN HAYES (Hayesy)

Info: #12, C, CHI 24th in 2010 (listed as LW ? but has been playing center)

Last season: 18 goals + 54 pts (PHI)

History: Drafted by Chicago but played for Boston College (apparently had an injury where he almost lost his leg????). Played several years on the Rangers, about ten minutes in Winnipeg, played several years in Philadelphia, and got traded to the Blues in the 2023 offseason for a couple of rocks (a 6th round pick). Part of the controversial trade that made Krug invoke his no-trade clause.

Profile: Good depth scoring and fantastic faceoff man. Decently physical player and he battles well enough that he's already got 10 goals to show for it.

Other: cousin of Keith Tkachuk! His brother (former player, retired in 2019) unfortunately passed away in 2021 and every time he scores, he points to the sky for him :,)

KASPERI KAPANEN (Kappy)

Info: #42, RW, PIT 22nd in 2014

Last season: 15 goals + 34 pts (PIT + STL)

History: Drafted by the Penguins but was traded to the Leafs where he played 5 seasons, then traded BACK to the Penguins where he played 2 1/2 seasons, then put on waivers. The Blues picked him up in 2023 and he put up a solid 14 pts in 23 games. He fought his way up from the minors and has played exclusively in the NHL since the 18-19 season.

Profile: Good depth player. Very fast but doesn't shoot very much. Currently on the fourth line, usually higher but was moved down as other players (notable Neighbours) moved up the lineup.

NATHAN WALKER (Walks)

Info: #26, LW, WSH 89 in 2014 (currently playing center, my sources are conflicting but he's currently playing center so. he might be a center)

Last season: 2 goals + 10 pts

History: He's Australian! He was born in Wales! He holds basically all of the Australian records since he's one of like 4 Aussie players ever. He played his first NHL games in the 2018 playoffs and won the cup the with Capitals! Unfortunately did not play enough games for his name to be on the cup. He's technically only played a handful of games this year and started with the AHL team but he's been on the team for a few years now and he just signed a 2-year one-way extention, so you'll probably be seeing more of him :)

Profile: Physical player despite being undersized (5'9). Not a big scorer but provides a major physical presence on a not very physical team.

Other: look at his instagram right now his kids are so goddamn adorable

ALEXEY TOROPCHENO (Torpo)

Info: #13, RW, STL 113th in 2017

Last season: 10 goals + 19 pts

History: Played in the KHL in 20-21 due to issues with the Blues AHL affiliate (goodbye San Antonio Rampage, fuck VGK). Made his Blues debut when a covid outbreak on the team forced them to call up a number of players.

Profile: Physical player! Kinda massive (6'6) so he can and WILL run guys over. Fast and relentless player who doesn't give up the puck easily. Mostly a 4th line grinder but he WORKS on that 4th line. Great penalty killer, already has 2 shorthanded goals on the season

Other: this has less of an impact now because it's just him and buch, but back when there were numerous russian players i always called him my favorite russian. this still stands <3

OSKAR SUNDQVIST (Sunny)

Info: #70, C, PIT 81st in 2012

Last season: 10 goals + 28 pts (DET + MIN)

History: The Blues offseason signing of the century. Played a handful of games with the Penguins in the 16-17 season when they won the cup, but didn't play enough games for his name to be on it. Signed to the Blues 18-19 team on a one-year deal and had his best season to date, won the cup for real this time to boot. Traded to the Red Wings in 2022, then traded to the Wild at the 2023 deadline.

Profile: As a center, he's a solid faceoff man, a solid physical presence, and I think he really exudes everything that worked about the 2019 team. Good defensive forward on the fourth line.

Other: A huge fan of the STL MLS team! Went to games even before he had officially signed here. I think the entire city of STL likes this guy he seems cool. Also the Sundqvist + Walman for Leddy + Witkowski trade is known for being absolutely awful. jake walman if ur reading this pls come back

And that's all for the forwards! This is what the roster currently looks like (1/14/24) and other players who are called up/down frequently will be in a separate section

[arizonanighthawks]

Two years into his tenure as Head Coach, three questions Walter Bowen will have to answer this season

Jasmine Downey, staff writer

Question number 1: Will the Nighthawks finally make the playoffs after a six-year drought?

I know, I know, we’re starting off strong, but it’s the question everyone wants answered. Six years ago in 2018, the Nighthawks were ousted from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche, and then-GM Howard Gagnon cleaned house, trading most of his star players across the league, trading down for picks in the draft, and firing beloved head coach Erik Demers, who then went on to win the Stanley Cup with two different teams in the years since. After the disastrous following year, a spate of injuries and awful coaching from replacement coach Alexander Stuart, the Nighthawks landed in a squarely mediocre position in the standings, and only got worse from there.

Recently, with new GM Isaiah Chambers, head coach Walter Bowen, who has not done anything to warrant firing (yet) and the peaceful transference of power to owner Arthur Lindsay, the Nighthawks have been getting slightly better, both on the ice and in the front office. They picked Anatoly Zikov 2nd overall in the 2021 draft, and while waiting for his KHL contract to end, have been slowly piecing together a team that looks vaguely like the beginnings of a playoff-caliber club.

However, now that we know Zikov is on his way over, what do we need Bowen to do this season?

First of all, the Nighthawks deserve to make the playoffs this season. Michael Houck and Lee Bartlett aren’t getting any younger. Bartlett hasn’t had the opportunity to play in many playoff games, after his late-season injury kept him out of the 2017 playoffs, and the 2018 series against LA and then Colorado were pretty short-lived, and Houck has played [checks NHL.com] zero total playoff games. Plus, Zikov is a potential generational talent and a near lock for the Hall of Fame, so why not get him some playoff games right off the bat? Some of the kids on this team — and there are a lot of kids on this team — should also get some experience playing games that actually have consequences. If Bowen wants to keep this job, the Nighthawks need the playoffs.

2. Special teams

The Nighthawks’ penalty kill last year… well, we all saw it. It had holes bigger than the ones in the ozone layer and problems you could see from space, and the only reason it wasn’t dead last was because of Simon Dahlvig. Assistant coach Chelsea Sheppard has taken over the special teams position for now, but if there aren’t any major improvements, Bowen might need to take drastic measures.

It wasn’t as though the power play was much better; at 26th in the league, it was an insufficient group. Things are looking up with the acquisition of Michael Yeung in the offseason, who was a force on the Rangers' power play, and it’s clear that the Nighthawks are hoping for some of that magic to translate to the ice in Arizona. But Bowen has a lot of work to do with the kids; Yeung alone certainly can't fix that.

3. Nic Proulx

There’s no limit to the amount of sympathy we can extend Proulx, but we also want to see the Nighthawks play well. With limp numbers for the past two years and zero chemistry with every line Bowen tried him on, he’s been something of a stick in the mud for the Nighthawks these past two years. An upcoming RFA, if he wants to stay in Arizona with the team that drafted him, he is desperately going to need a huge change in his play. 

Will it be Zikov? Will they put him on Ezra Page’s wing for the millionth time, hoping something will finally work? Will Lee Bartlett’s incessant fathering finally produce a happy, well-rounded hockey player? We’ve seen flashes, brief, brief flashes of brilliance from Proulx, bare moments of the athlete we know we can be and that we saw in his career in the Q, as captain of the Voltigeurs. We want that all the time. If Bowen can do something to bring that out, we might have on our hands the longest-tenured coach in the NHL today.

[sportsthoughts]

Day 133 of offseason gifs - In The Room: Sights and Sounds (2017) - Round Two - Games 1-6 vs the Washington Capitals

[strawberryblondebutch]

why do u hate the brewers

Is it because Wisconsin is a frozen hellscape

Because my parents live outside Chicago and I went to prep school in Minnesota, I would regularly be exposed to the Milwaukee Brewers Experience, which is... awful.

Brewers fans do not exist. At least, they didn't before 2017. I can't guarantee what happened after, as I am back in the homeland. Instead, you had Packers fans who wanted an excuse to tailgate in the summer. This led to the most sensory overwhelming ballpark I've ever been to. There was no natural ebb and flow of the game. Any dramatic breath holding would be interrupted by the Jumbotron telling fans to "MAKE SOME NOISE!!!" because silence was scary.

On top of that, because these people were not baseball fans (and here, I want to clarify, I am not bashing football fans generally -- I am clarifying that most of the "home fans" just wanted a way to spend the afternoon/evening and had little to no investment in their team), they had no concept of when to cheer. Any batter making contact would be cheered or booed, even the most obvious grounder or lazy flyout.

What really soured me on the Brewers, though, was the organization and the fans' handling of Ryan Braun. Braun was caught doping during the 2011-12 offseason, and his urine sample was dismissed on a technicality. My church organist, actually, was supposed to be handling it, but did not receive the sample until after the post office had closed for the night. Because he had to store it in his fridge overnight, MLB couldn't prove it wasn't tampered with, so the doping case was thrown out.

Braun was not only lauded as a hero who had never done anything wrong in his life ever, but he proceeded to lead a witch hunt against, again, my literal family church organist, with unfounded accusations of antisemitism. He gave a half-assed apology a year and a half later and admitted to doping, but he's still seen as a great Brewers hero.

Other ugly stuff the org has done in recent years include:

Employing known racist and homophobe Josh Hader,

Going to salary arbitration and permanently damaging their relationship with their ace pitcher to save $740k,

And routinely holding the City of Milwaukee hostage, saying "Give us more money for our stadium or we'll leave town"

They're not my least favorite team in the league, that will always be the racist abuse apologist cheapskates in Atlanta, and SFG routinely tries to ruin the sport I love, but MKE probably rounds out the top 3.

[female-buckets]

Diana Taurasi says she is constantly heartbroken at her teammate Brittney Griner's situation and suggested it may give WNBA players second thoughts about playing in Russia.

“We’re heartbroken. Every day, heartbroken," Taurasi said. "Our sole energy is to get her home as soon as possible, as safe as possible. And it’s heartbreaking to think that she’s stuck in prison somewhere in Russia, a place where we gave a lot of our energy and a lot of our effort to make sure they have the best teams in the world. We wake up every day sad, but with a lot of hope that it’s gonna happen soon."

Griner has been deemed "wrongfully detained" by the U.S. government since her arrest at a Moscow airport on Feb. 1. 

Griner was in Russia playing during the WNBA's offseason for Moscow-based UMMC Ekaterinburg women's basketball team since 2015, which paid her $1 million per year.

Taurasi also played for UMMC Ekaterinburg from 2012 to 2017.

“It’s another factor you have to look at when you’re thinking about going to play in a different country for sure," Taurasi said.  

Griner, 31, and Taurasi won the 2014 WNBA title together one year after Griner entered the league from Baylor.

Taurasi spoke about Griner's charitable impact in the Phoenix community, including her annual Heart and Soul Shoe drive that's helped nearly 2000 of the Valley's underprivileged since 2016.

“There are people that play in markets and never do a thing," Taurasi told The Republic. "BG’s done more in Phoenix than most people do in a whole lifetime in a city because that’s who BG is. She’s a carer, she’s a lover, she brings people together. That’s the special attribute that she has besides being a great basketball player. She’s the most loving person I’ve ever been around.”

[annieqattheperipheral]

WTH IS THIS ARTICLE we have a super spy hockey ninja on the leafs now????

i have no idea who this is and treliving we have no choice but to follow you to the fiery depths of leafie hell but yooo this dude sounds fire for team culture and at bargain price so colour me INTRIGUED

am34's new bunts/bff??? an older rookie'esque grinder who can play top 6.. he does love his geriatric young-at-hearts who beckon to him to be the star and apparently this fella's a chameleon shapeshifter off the ice or something i cannot get a read on this ghost

full article:

The text messages among a group of former University of Denver teammates almost always follow a similar pattern: Someone will try to pry information out of Dylan Gambrell, the 26-year-old centre carving out an NHL career for himself. Yet before they know it, those same friends will instead find themselves sharing insight into their own life and career as the crafty and elusive Gambrell has managed to flip the tables.

That’s the way Gambrell operates.

Sharing personal details doesn’t come naturally to Gambrell. Instead, the Maple Leafs centre signed to a one-year, $775,000 contract this offseason is at his most content when he’s surrounded by teammates, keeping the conversation going but still keeping his cards close to his chest.

“He’s a silent assassin,” former Denver teammate Blake Hillman said of Gambrell. “He doesn’t say much, but he’s very cerebral about the way he handles his life.”

With the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and John Klingberg joining the Leafs via free agency, the addition of Gambrell has flown under the radar. He’s 26 but has already spent parts of six seasons in the NHL. Early indications are that Domi — despite having played centre before — will line up on the wing to start his Leafs career. And so there looks to be a hole in the fourth-line centre role. Pontus Holmberg could be in contention for the job, given his defensive acumen and how well he adapted in a short amount of time during his 37-game NHL rookie stint last year.

But right now, Gambrell might be in the pole position for the job.

“(Gambrell) has played a lot in the league over the past few years,” Leafs GM Brad Treliving said. “I think he is going to provide us with good depth.”

Those who know Gambrell believe his journey has given him the kind of experience and know-how that could allow him to surprise some onlookers, make the most of his time in Toronto and grab onto a full-time NHL spot.

Throughout Gambrell’s three seasons at the University of Denver, teammates and the coaching staff rarely had to worry much about him.

Not when Gambrell was showing his strong puck skills and speedy skating in a top-six role in just his second year with the program, and putting up more than a point per game throughout his entire three-season NCAA career. And not when contributing in all situations including in key moments late in games en route to a national championship in 2017.

The responsible game Gambrell employed mirrored who Gambrell was off the ice: low-maintenance and remarkably mature. During Gambrell’s 2015-16 freshman season, he was voted the “Most Put Together” teammate in a year-end awards ceremony.

“He’s always been one of those guys looking out for everyone else,” Hillman said of Gambrell.

Gambrell credits moving far away from his Bonney Lake, Wash., home to Colorado at 14 and moving in with the family of future Boston Bruin Brandon Carlo while playing Triple-A hockey as the reason for his early maturity.

“He was always involved (with the team) and always in the mix, in a good way,” Gambrell’s former Denver assistant coach David Carle said.

Carle was invited to Gambrell’s July wedding and was taken aback by the fact that nearly 20 former teammates of different ages were invited. He then remembered what kind of person Gambrell is.

Whenever Carle would tuck his head in on team functions, he would see the entire Denver team in attendance. And he’d then hear later that was because it was Gambrell who would make the effort to include every player, regardless of age or standing within the team.

“(Gambrell) likes to relate to everyone, and in different ways, which is a pretty unique characteristic of his,” former Denver teammate Logan O’Connor said of Gambrell.

While Gambrell might not necessarily be as gregarious as, say, fellow new Leaf Ryan Reaves, his high comfort level with different types of teammates is nonetheless notable. Treliving said early in free agency that he had heard this Leafs team is a “quiet group.” And so Gambrell’s efforts to be consistently inclusive with teammates could have made him an attractive signing in Treliving’s eyes.

“He’s a guy who endears himself well to his teammates because of the quality of person he is, and the values he has,” Carle said.

Being low-maintenance helped Gambrell move on from Denver and earn three different contracts with the San Jose Sharks after being drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft. He spent most of his first full pro season in the AHL learning the ropes, and learning some hard lessons about sticking in the NHL.

Consistency didn’t come easy. Some nights Gambrell looked like the best player on the ice during a 51-game season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, other nights he’d struggle to impact the game.

“He was really hard on himself,” Gambrell’s then-Barracuda head coach Roy Sommer said. “If he didn’t get the results he liked, it affected his personality a little bit. But he started getting better at that.”

Gambrell came to a realization not every young professional comes to: The highly skilled player he was in college, who produced plenty of offence over his three-year career, might not be the player he could be in the NHL.

He’d have to embrace more of the 200-foot game he played at times in college and focus on impacting the game with finer details as opposed to only on the scoresheet. It ended up becoming one of his most important realizations as a pro to date.

“I had to change my game,” Gambrell admits. “Obviously there was a maturing phase, and I realized my defensive game was going to be a much bigger thing. I always thought I was a 200-foot player, but I had to realize how important the defensive side of the game is, too.”

And again, he did it all with the kind of coachable attitude that has endeared him to those who know him. He might have been a relatively high draft pick with a promising offensive future, but his maturity helped him come to an understanding of his NHL future that can be difficult for some to swallow.

“I never once saw him text and complain about being on the fourth line,” Hillman said.

That’s not who he is.

“You’ve got to find your niche,” Gambrell said of his NHL career. “(Playing defensively) was something that helped keep me in the lineup.”

Throughout his four seasons in San Jose, he admired the way veterans such as Joe Pavelski handled themselves with consistent professionalism on and off the ice. It meant that when he landed in Ottawa after an October 2021 trade, he stuck in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. He scored just seven goals in his 123 NHL games in Ottawa, but the experience added up, as did his ability to read games with his hockey IQ and learn to be in the right spots defensively by utilizing his smarts and speed.

That maturity, skill set and NHL experience could see him beat out the incumbent Holmberg in a training camp battle.

“I think (the Leafs) like my energy and speed and the responsible side of the game that I can bring,” Gambrell said.

The battle for the fourth-line centre role will be one of the few roster battles to watch once Leafs training camp gets underway in September. After a career spent largely out of the limelight, Gambrell will have more eyeballs on him and his play than ever before. To win a spot, he’ll need to show more offence in his game than he has in the NHL. That’s partly why he’s planning on arriving in Toronto well ahead of training camp to acclimatize himself with his new teammates and start developing some chemistry on the ice early on.

But it feels likely the increased attention Gambrell will face in Toronto won’t faze him whatsoever. He’s built his career on keeping his head down and trying to improve.

Just ask his group chat.

“He’s very good at not showing emotion. He always reacts to every situation with calm,” Hillman said. “If there’s one person who will be able to tune everything out, it’s him.”

[nicohischier]

thoughts on nolan patrick induced brainrot

Oh so many thoughts. All the thoughts. Too many thoughts.

Here’s the thing with Nolan, okay? His story so far has always been fairly synonymous with tragedy. You can argue with that statement if you want, but so much of his career so far just points in the direction of a tragedy, at least in my eyes.

Let me first start this off by telling you that Nolan Patrick can be and has been described by three characteristics: injury prone, second overall, and draft bust. They’re not his only characteristics, but they are the ones used most frequently to talk about him since 2017.

(by the way. this is 2000 words long. so. open with caution?)

Injury Prone  – Juniors Version

In his first season after being drafted by the Wheat Kings in the 2013 WHL Draft, he was called up because the Wheat Kings had a lot of their own injuries but he wasn’t able to play during that call up because he had a shoulder injury. In his rookie year the following season, he missed a dozen games with an upper body injury. At the end of his 2015-16 season he revealed that he was suffering a sports hernia he had been playing through. In 2016-17, his draft season, Nolan only played a few games before the Wheat Kings announced that he wasn’t fully healed from the sports hernia and he was out for most of the season (he ended up playing 33 games that season) and missed playing in World Juniors. 

Then, after he was drafted, he missed his first development camp with the Flyers because he was recovering from a surgery he had gotten done before the draft. 

Despite all the injuries haunting him, he still was a top rated prospect and, fun fact, was actually rated higher than Nico. 

Unfortunately, however, the injuries didn’t stop following him just because he switched from the WHL to the NHL. 

Injury Prone – NHL Version

He was actually fairly healthy for his first two seasons in Philly. He missed some games in his rookie season after a rough hit, but those were the only games he missed. Again, in his sophomore season he missed a few games but there was nothing super drastic. And then the 2019 offseason came around. 

Some time before the 2019-20 season Nolan was officially diagnosed with chronic migraines and he ended up missing the entire season. He might have made a return late in the season, but COVID ended the season early, so we’ll never know. He did play when the 2020-21 season started up but he didn’t perform very well (which isn’t entirely shocking considering he was coming back after a year and a half (?) of not playing NHL hockey and he himself admitted to taking his return a bit more tentatively because he was worried about his migraines).

Then, before the 2021-22 season started Nolan hired a new agent and got himself traded to Vegas (with a pit stop in Nashville for all of five minutes or whatever). He got injured a few games into that season, played a total of 25 games, and hasn’t played a game since the end of that season. Presumably that fact has something to do with injury or recovery but don’t quote me on that.

The point is that while Nolan didn’t deal with the constant yoyoing of injured-healthy-injured-healthy that he was dealing with while in juniors, what he was dealing with after coming into the NHL is ultimately a lot more serious and will have a much larger impact on the future of his career. 

Second Overall – The 2017 Entry Draft

I know we were just talking about the NHL but we actually have to drop back to the 2017 Draft and the time just before the draft because this is obviously the keypoint for the ‘second overall’ characteristic. 

So, I mentioned that prior to the draft, Nolan was technically rated higher than Nico, which is true. Granted, Nico was rated the second top prospect, so not that much higher, but still. What the important takeaway from this is that the 2017 Draft was genuinely a toss-up between Nico and Nolan. Nico going first generally came down to what the Devils were looking for from their selection (and maybe Nolan’s injury history played a part in the Devils picking Nico instead but I can’t be certain). 

Some drafts are more-or-less a guarantee for which prospect is going first (see: 2015, 2016, the upcoming 2023) but 2017 was very much a ??? until the lottery when people could start making speculations about who would most benefit the Devils’ needs.

Anyway, the point is that Nolan was the highest rated prospect going into the draft. 

For a solid while before the draft Nolan was considered THE top pick. But then Halifax brought this kid over from Switzerland and he tore up the QMJHL and all of a sudden there was another prospect breathing down Nolan’s neck when it came to FOA consideration. 

Ultimately, as we all know now, Nico ended up going FOA and Nolan went SOA to the Flyers.

Obviously going SOA isn’t a tragedy in and of itself but you do have to consider the “what could have been?” if Nolan had gone FOA or if Nico had never come over from Switzerland. 

But, to be honest, I’m a huge fan of the general tragedy that haunts SOAs so maybe I’m just focusing way too hard on the SOA part of his story. The reality is that him going second is only a minor blip in the tragedy that is the Nolan Patrick narrative. Him going SOA is just a stepping stone toward the ‘draft bust’ part of his tragedy. 

Draft Bust 

The facts: Nolan went SOA. He has played 222 games. He has scored 32 goals. He has 77 points. He is prone to injury. He has missed two seasons and is not a guarantee to ever come back.

The other facts: there are some incredible players who are having incredible careers who were selected after Nolan. Just some of those players are Miro Heiskanen, 3rd, Cale Makar, 4th, Elias Pettersson, 5th, Nick Suzuki, 13th, Jake Oettinger, 26th, Jason Robertson, 39th, Stuart Skinner, 78th. And that’s just some of the superstar names. I could’ve also mentioned guys who aren’t superstars for their teams but are almost definitely going to make a career out of being Good and Useful.

(and can we take a minute to appreciate how well the dallas stars drafted in 2017? holy shit.)

Disclaimer: I am not saying that Nolan is never going to come back and turn into a superstar or become Good and Useful. I can only work with what I have in front of me, which is what I’ve presented you with.

The tragedy of this, beyond the fact that he is, at least currently, a draft bust, is that the sheer amount of talent behind him will always be tied to his name. He is never going to be Nolan Patrick anymore and the guys behind him (especially Heiskanen, Makar, and Pettersson) are never going to be themselves. They’re all always going to have their draft order tied to their name. The only difference is that when they speak about Heiskanen or Makar or Pettersson people are going to say they should have gone higher. When they speak about Nolan, they’re going to say he should have gone lower.

I could say more probably (definitely) but I’m already at 1200 words and I did actually still want to talk about the poem even though I don’t expect ANYONE to have read this far LMAO. But on the off chance someone is here because they ALSO have super intense nolpat brain rot… hello. It’s just you and me baby. 

The Poem – Frame by Frame (except for the ones I skip)

Frame Two: “it’s the same when love comes to an end” with Nolan facing the camera and the rest of the Flyers facing away, in the background. 

Fairly self-explanatory I think, but sometimes OP places the text in specific locations that make my brain explode and I needed to emphasize the importance of specifically putting “when love comes to an end”  over the Flyers. 

Once upon a time, the Flyers were Nolan’s team and Nolan was supposed to be the Flyers’ future. Their highest draft pick since 2007. Things fell apart and the organization fell out of love with him (did they ever have enough time to fall in love with him?) and he fell out of love with the organization. 

Frame Three: “or the marriage fails and people say they knew it was a mistake” over an aerial shot of Nolan over the Flyers logo.

I mean. All you have to do is change some words, right? The draft fails, people say they knew it was a mistake. 

Draft bust.

Need I say more?

And the solo aerial shot… because who bears the emotional pain of being a failed top prospect? That former top prospect and no one else. He is alone in his knowledge that he wasn’t good enough and he alone must face the words people say about him in the aftermath. 

Frame Six: “like being there by that summer ocean on the other side of the island while love was fading out of him” over a shot of Nolan and some other Flyers on the bench, waiting to give high fives to their teammates.

If I want to overanalyze this I could talk about how ‘the island’ is the Flyers as a team, ‘on the other side’ refers to how he felt distanced from the team or like he was never truly a part of them (because he felt like he was a disappointment?), and ‘while love was fading out of him’ could refer to the fact that Nolan very probably requested his trade out of Philly.

On the other hand, if I wanted to break my own heart, I could talk about how the person whose love was fading out of them is actually the Flyers organization and fans as a vague entity who, once full of love and hope for their first SOA in a decade, were now turning sour on the failed top prospect whose future will probably never stop being shaped like a giant question mark. 

But I don’t want to do either, so let’s pretend I said nothing, okay?

Frame Eight: “the stars burning so extravagantly those nights that anyone could tell you they would never last” over a shot Nolan in a celly with the team.

I actually included the lines on Frame Seven to provide context because I, once again, just want to talk about OP’s placement of the words. Specifically the “they would never last” that sort of outlines Nolan’s figure. 

If I think too hard about it I will get sad so just take a second to think about how bright a SOA must shine for a fanbase and a team and how much everyone always expects from a high draft pick and then just take a moment to appreciate the beauty and pain in OP outlining Nolan with the words “they would never last” and let’s just all agree to move on so I don’t get even more sad.

Frame Nine & Ten: “I believe Icarus was not falling as he fell, but just coming to the end of his triumph” over a shot of Nolan leaving the bench with TK still on it (9) & Nolan in a celly with the team. 

I lumped these two frames because they’re important to go together, right? Not just to keep the full quote intact, but also because it shows that Nolan’s time in Philly wasn’t just a tragedy.

He had guys like TK, who became like a brother to him (at least from the way they portrayed their friendship to the fans) and he had his team who loved him, regardless of the expectations the organization had laid out that he was failing to meet. 

I call his story a tragedy, and I genuinely think it is one, but it is probably wrong to reduce it to solely a tragedy. Maybe his time in Philly contributes to the overall tragedy of his story, but on its own? How can I reduce the love he found in Philly to only a footnote in the overarching tragedy?

[thursday8econlive]

Collusion - The Hidden Side of Sports

Connor Phipps (48258868)

Discussion: Thursday 8pm

The term "collusion" refers to covert collaboration between two or more people or groups for a wrongous or criminal goal. Business, politics, and sports are just a few of the settings where collusion can happen. Collusion can have detrimental effects on customers, the economy, and society, despite the fact that it is frequently difficult to detect.

Collusion can also happen in sports, for instance when team owners work together to set salary caps or restrict player mobility. This kind of collaboration can be detrimental to both the participants and the spectators who pay to see them compete. In politics, collusion can happen when people or organizations work together covertly to influence elections or gain an unfair advantage.

As a frequent viewer of Major League Baseball, I have always admired the sport for its spirit of competition and the sense of fandom it produces. But I've been upset and disillusioned about the league's collusion issue. In addition to harming the players who are not fairly compensated for their skills, this also distorts the playing field and jeopardizes the integrity of the game. As a fan, I like to think that players' skill and effort on the field, not management's plotting behind the scenes, dictate the results of games. My faith in the sport's fairness is destroyed by collusion, and it is tougher for me to love it as much as I once did.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Major League Baseball (MLB) saw certain instances of collusion. Several organizations were charged with conspiring to reduce player pay at the time by deciding not to sign lucrative contracts with free agents.

An MLB player made an average of $1.07 million in 1995. It had barely climbed to $2.38 million by 2001. This was in spite of the fact that the league's earnings during that time period went from $1.9 billion in 1995 to $3.5 billion in 2001, a huge rise.

Figure 1: Team Revenues all in the millions 

Figure 2: Player Revenues huge difference between team and player revenues

The MLB Players' Union filed a grievance against the league in 1998, alleging collusion amongst team owners. The union charged that teams were working together to avoid competing with one another for free-agent players, which was driving down wages. The dispute was arbitrated, and in 2000, the players were given $280 million in damages when the arbitrator found in favor of the players' union.

This collusion had significant results. Several gifted athletes failed to secure the contracts they merited, and some were forced to retire early or accept pay below what was fair. Teams with smaller payrolls were at a disadvantage relative to those with greater payrolls, which had an effect on the competitive balance of the league.

Overall, this example shows the real-world consequences of collusion in sports, including its impact on player salaries and the overall competitive balance of a league. It also highlights the importance of holding organizations accountable for engaging in collusion and ensuring that players are able to earn fair compensation for their skills and contributions to the sport.

Works cited 

“MLB Collusion, Explained.” Google, Google, https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/mlb/2018/1/18/16882650/mlb-collusion-offseason-free-agency-explainer.

“Baseball Strike in 1994-95 Began 25 Years Ago - MLB | NBC Sports.” Google, Google, https://www.google.com/amp/s/mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/08/12/baseball-strike-in-1994-95-began-25-years-ago/amp/.

Jablon, Robert. “LA Dodger Fans Face Heartbreaking Ending to Magical Year.” The Seattle Times, 1 Nov. 2017, www.seattletimes.com/news/la-baseball-fans-prepare-for-a-once-in-a-lifetime-moment.

Gaines, Cork. “CHART: MLB Salaries Had Largest Increase in 7 Years and This Is Just the Start.” Business Insider, 19 Dec. 2013, www.businessinsider.com/chart-mlb-salaries-had-largest-increase-in-7-years-and-this-is-just-the-start-2013-12.

---. “MLB Team Revenues Show the True Disparity Between the Haves and Have Nots.” Business Insider, 28 Mar. 2013, www.businessinsider.com/team-revenues-show-the-true-disparity-in-major-league-baseball-sports-chart-of-the-day-2013-3.

"Baseball Collusion: It's a Case of Suing the Bosses," by John Feinstein, The Washington Post, published on November 1, 1987.

"Collusion Case Splits Baseball Owners and Players," by Ross Newhan, The Los Angeles Times, published on January 14, 1990.

"Collusion Was the Dark Secret Behind Baseball's Free-Agent Chill," by Murray Chass, The New York Times, published on October 28, 1990.

Baseball Collusion: It's a Case of Suing the Bosses," by John Feinstein, The Washington Post, published on November 1, 1987.

[uswnt5]

I wonder if tc always knew they would eventually settle down in LA. Even back when they first got together and Tobin considered Portland her home. It seems like Christen always knew she’d end up back in LA one way or another. It makes me wonder the “what ifs” if Tobin was still at Portland and had never been burned. They might still be doing long distance if things had turned out differently yuck

for a while CP really seemed to embrace Portland as home too. 2017 - 2018, they spent the offseasons there and she'd go home whenever she could. So, hard to say!

Isn't it wild to think the start of the pandem, tobin was still portland and Angel City wasn't even in our minds yet?

[ledenews]

Wheeling Nailers Sign Forward Filip Forsmark

The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are excited to announce their 14th player signing of the 2024 offseason. Wheeling has signed forward Filip Forsmark to an ECHL contract. Forsmark, 26, made his professional debut this past spring, when he skated in two games with the Allen Americans. He recorded four shots on goal in those contests and had an even +/-. Prior to that, Filip played four seasons of NCAA hockey at Merrimack College. While with the Warriors, the forward produced 26 goals, 48, assists, and 74 points, and played in 123 of 126 possible games. Forsmark led Merrimack with 13 points in 18 games as a freshman during the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign, then had his best collegiate totals as a sophomore, when he finished with 11 goals, 16 assists, and 27 points. The native of Skovde, Sweden has spent the last seven years in North America, as he first crossed the ocean as a 19-year old in 2017 to begin his junior career with the USHL's Tri-City Storm. Forsmark finished second in scoring for the Storm in 2018-19, as the team finished with the best regular season record in the league and reached the conference final round of the playoffs. A fun personal fact about Filip is that he has two brothers, who both play professionally in Sweden. His older brother Oscar plays for HC Lidköping, while his younger brother Carl plays for Guldsmedshytte SK. Filip Forsmark and the Wheeling Nailers will open the 2024-25 season on the road against the Maine Mariners on Friday, October 18th. The team's home opener is Saturday, November 2nd against the Bloomington Bison at 7:10. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley. Read the full article

[novumtimes]

Braves Acquire Jorge Soler Luke Jackson in Blockbuster Trade With Giants

The Atlanta Braves are running it back. On Monday night, the Braves agreed to a deal with the San Francisco Giants to acquire All-Star outfielder and two-time World Series champion Jorge Soler. The Braves are also getting right-handed reliever Luke Jackson in the deal. Both players were on the Braves in 2021, and played pivotal roles in their World Series title. Going back to San Francisco is left-handed reliever Tyler Matzek and minor league infielder Sabin Ceballos. Additionally, the Braves are taking on the whole contract, paying Soler $13 million in both 2025 and 2026. So, this trade is as much a salary dump as anything for the Giants. ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 2: Jorge Soler #2 of the San Francisco Giants rounds third after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 2, 2024… ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 2: Jorge Soler #2 of the San Francisco Giants rounds third after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 2, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Soler is heading back to Atlanta. More Todd Kirkland/Getty Images As for the Braves, they aren’t only bringing back two old friends, but they’re also continuing to recreate the 2021 season. That year, superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. went down with a torn ACL, and the Braves responded by acquiring four outfielders at the trade deadline — Soler, Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, and Joc Pederson. Duvall has spent the entire 2024 season with the Braves, while Rosario was signed by the Braves in early July a few months after Acuna Jr.’s second torn ACL. Now, Soler is heading back to Atlanta, leaving just Pederson as the lone outfielder acquired in 2021 not in Atlanta. Pederson is currently with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the Braves do have a left-handed outfielder in Jarred Kelenic on the roster. Soler, 32, signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Giants this past offseason. In 93 games, the power-hitter slashed .240/.330/.419 with 12 home runs, 40 runs batted in, and an OPS of .749. For his standards, it’s a down year, considering he’s coming off a 2023 campaign in which he slashed .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs, 75 runs batted in, and an OPS of .853. He made his lone All-Star appearance last season. Soler’s best season in Major League Baseball came in 2019, when he hit 48 home runs, drove in 117 RBIs, and had an OPS of .922. In 2021, he played a crucial role in the Braves’ dominance, collecting an OPS of .882 over the last 55 games of the regular season. In the postseason, Soler was even better. He had an OPS of .948 across his 11 postseason games, and was sensational in the World Series, going 6-for-20 with three home runs en route to the World Series MVP award. Rosario won the NLCS award that year. The Braves are hoping for similar success for Soler in his second stint in Atlanta. Since Acuna Jr. went down with a torn ACL in late May, the Braves have struggled to find a consistent replacement in the outfield. Soler will certainly fill that role. As for Jackson, he spent five seasons with the Braves from 2017-21. He had his best year as a pro in 2021, sporting a 1.98 ERA across 63.2 innings. He pitched 3.2 shutout innings in the World Series. The Braves are looking to recreate their 2021 magic. They’re currently 56-49, 8.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East. They’re in the first Wild Card spot in the NL, just ahead of the San Diego Padres and New York Mets. Uncommon Knowledge Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Source link via The Novum Times

[lukeswritings]

Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox Finalize Three-Team Trade

2:25pm: In addition to the others, the Dodgers receive 17-year-old right-hander Oliver Gonzalez from the Cardinals. The Cardinals will get a player to be named later or cash from the Dodgers and cash from the White Sox. Chicago will get a player to be named later or cash from the Dodgers on top of the prospects.

11:26am: Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports confirms that the final trade is Fedde and Pham to St. Louis, Edman and Kopech to the Dodgers, and Vargas, Perez, and Albertus to Chicago.

11:22am: Jeff Passan tweets that Noah Miller is not in the trade.

11:15am: The Dodgers, Cardinals, and White Sox are working to finalize a trade involving Erick Fedde, who will go to St. Louis, Tommy Edman, who will go to Los Angeles, and a prospect package, which will go to Chicago.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, a three-team deal was close this morning. Bob Nightengale further reported that reliever Michael Kopech is going from the White Sox to L.A. and that outfielder Tommy Pham is moving from Chicago to St. Louis. Pham played the first four and a half seasons with the Cardinals. The prospects from the Dodgers going to Chicago are a group of infielders — Miguel Vargas, Jeral Perez, Noah Miller, and Alexander Albertus.

Fedde has been outstanding this season after playing last year in Korea, pitching to a 3.11 ERA in 121 2/3 innings over 21 starts. He signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the White Sox in December, so he will remain under club control for another season. The 31-year-old right-hander began his career with the Nationals, debuting in 2017 and spending six seasons with the team. He generally struggled as a back-of-the-rotation arm and decided to take his talents across the Pacific Ocean for the 2023 season, playing with the NC Dinos. The gamble paid off as he went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 30 starts and was awarded the Choi Dong-won Award, the equivalent to the Cy Young Award for the best pitcher in the KBO, and the KBO MVP award.

The addition of Fedde for the Cardinals signifies a likely return to the bullpen for Andre Pallante. The current rotation consists of Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Pallante, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson, but they rank in the bottom half of major league teams with a 4.09 team starting pitching ERA. Fedde will be a welcome addition to the oldest rotation in the majors.

Bringing in Pham is a full-circle moment for the 36-year-old outfielder and the Cardinals. He was a 16th-round pick of the 2006 draft by St. Louis and didn't debut until 2014. He didn't play an entire season until 2017, when he burst onto the scene with 23 home runs, a .306/.411/.520 slash line and received down-ballot MVP votes. He would be traded at the deadline the next year to Tampa Bay and became an excellent player for them, with a 135 OPS+ as the everyday left fielder for the Rays in the second half of '18 and all of 2019. This outstanding stretch made him a key face on the market, and he ultimately made his way to San Diego in another trade as part of a package with Jake Cronenworth before the 2020 season. While that season was underwhelming for him at the plate, the offseason was another horror story as in October of 2020, he was stabbed outside of a San Diego strip club in his lower back. He would receive 200 stitches in surgery but made it back onto the field, and impressively, he could still be on the field for the entire 2021 season. Another down season with the bat and the lockout of the 2021-22 offseason led to him not signing with a team until late March, when he agreed to a one-year deal with the Reds. The most notable event of the 2022 season for Pham would be him slapping Joc Pederson of the Giants in May during batting practice over a meme sent in a group text regarding a fantasy football league that Pederson and Pham had been in seven months prior. He would be suspended three games and eventually was traded at that year's trade deadline to the Red Sox, where he continued to struggle. The past two seasons have seen Pham play with the Mets and Diamondbacks in 2023, the White Sox, and now the Cardinals in 2024.

Pham will not be an everyday player for the Cardinals, but he looks to platoon as the weak side with Michael Siani in center field. For his career, Pham is much better against left-handed pitching, and 2024 is no exception. He's slashing .255/.377/.471 against them in 61 plate appearances.

The 27-81 White Sox have long been named a seller at this year's deadline, and the deal of Fedde and Kopech looks to be the beginning of a mass exodus of players from the current roster. Vargas, Perez, and Albertus will help solidify a weak minor-league system.

Kopech is amidst a solid first season as a full-time reliever. He has dealt with various injuries that have dampened the excitement of him once being the second-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization and the prime return in the 2016 Chris Sale trade with the Red Sox. Kopech will provide the Dodgers with some back-end bullpen depth that has been missed, with Brusdar Graterol and Ryan Brasier injured nearly the entire season thus far. In 43 games out of the bullpen in 2024, he's amassed 59 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings, along with nine saves. An ERA of 4.74 is not the most shiny, but a top ten percent K% and fastball velocity in the majors stand out.

Edman is an exciting piece in the trade, as he has yet to play a game in 2024 after undergoing arthroscopic wrist surgery in October 2023. He was sent on a rehab assignment three weeks ago, so his season debut will be soon. He has ten days remaining to rehab before the Dodgers must activate him. An above-average defender at second, shortstop, third, and each outfield position, Edman will provide Los Angeles with some much-desired depth with Mookie Betts on the injured list after fracturing his hand in mid-June. Chris Taylor and Max Muncy are also on the injured list, so the infield is as bare-bones as possible. Kiké Hernandez at third, Nick Ahmed at shortstop, Gavin Lux at second, and Cavan Biggio at first make up the infield. None were expected to play as significant of roles as they are right now when the season began. Ahmed was just signed last week after being released by the Giants.

The Dodgers will also acquire pitcher Oliver Gonzalez, a 6'4" right-hander who the Cardinals signed out of Panama this past winter. He pitched in seven games at their Dominican Summer League affiliate, so he's as far out from the majors as someone could be. He has a 4.22 ERA in 21 1/3 innings, but his 26-to-7 K/BB ratio is sterling.

Miguel Vargas is the most well-known name heading to Chicago. A one-time top prospect, the 24-year-old Cuban only got a chance for a few factors, namely the Dodgers' exceptional depth and a lack of a defensive position. He mostly played third and some first in the minor leagues but was blocked coming up through the minors. He began to play some left field in 2022 and debuted with the Los Angeles in August of that year for a handful of games. Vargas has already used up the final option of his career, so next season, he will be out of them. This stretch will be an excellent opportunity to show off with a team on the exact opposite of the spectrum, depth-wise, as the Dodgers.

Albertus and Perez are 19-year-old infielders who were top-20 prospects in the Dodgers system. Albertus was signed in 2022 out of Aruba, and Perez the same year out of the Dominican Republic. The former has split the season between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga with a very impressive .342 average in 32 games in the complex leagues. Albertus can play the third and short, but his bat is his forte. Scouting reports call him a bat-first prospect who could see playing time at multiple infield positions. At such a young age, he is still a long way off from impacting the major league team, but he immediately jumps into a favorable position with an organization that has struggled to make any splashes in developing young players.

Perez has played the entire season at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, and at just 19 years old, he is one of the youngest players in the league. Like Albertus, he can play multiple infield positions, mostly seeing time this season at second base, but he played an even dispersal between second, third, and short across his two prior minor league seasons. He led Rancho Cucamonga in home runs with ten and has a keen eye, resulting in well above-average walk rates. According to Fangraphs, Perez has a good hit tool but has trouble controlling the barrel of his bat. A comparison given is Brendan Rodgers of the Colorado Rockies.