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ledenews · 5 years

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Sports Shorts - February 26, 2020

WU's Fleming, Bethany's Blango Honored

Wheeling's Liz Fleming was named the Mountain East Conference's Field Athlete of the Year at the MEC Indoor Championships after capturing both the weight throw and shot put, helping the Cardinals to a third-place team finish. She managed a 17.61-meter throw in the weight throw event and a 14.31 meter put in the shot. Bethany's Chas Blango was named the PAC Field Athlete of the Week after finishing third overall in the weight throw and 13th in the shot put at the Mount Union Raider Tune-Up. Blango's put of 12.98 meters was the fifth-best mark in the PAC this indoor season. The PAC Indoor Championships get underway Thursday at Youngstown State.

Boys and Girls Sectional Action Continues

Ohio boys' basketball sectional final matchups in divisions III and IV are set after Tuesday's night's action across the Buckeye State. Division II games take place tonight, along with girls' district action. Across the river in West Virginia, girls' sectional action continues. In Class A, top-seeded Wheeling Central raced out early and put to rest any hope of a Valley Lumberjills upset, ending the first half on a 17-0 run en route to a 68-39 win. Hannah White led the Maroon Knights with 14 and Tristen White added 12. Jamey West led the 'Jills with 12. The Knights will take on Cameron Friday in Moundsville for the sectional crown. The Dragons overcame an early 8-0 hole to defeat Madonna 42-38 in Tuesday's early game. Lily Neely paced Cameron with 16 points. In Class AA, Weir fell to No. 1 North Marion, 80-38. Sophia Mikula and Isabella Aperfine led the Red Riders with 10 apiece. In Ohio, Union Local withstood a tough test early from Buckeye Local to advance 76-52 in Division III sectional action. The Jets were led by 22 from Luke Merritt and 21 from Zach Bateman. UL hosts Morgan, a 55-45 winner against Harrison Central, on Friday in a sectional co-final. Bellaire fell to two-seed Fort Frye 63-32, while Martins Ferry took care of Sandy Valley, 41-35. The Purple Riders will now face the Cadets. On the opposite side of the bracket, Barnesville bested Coshocton 65-56 and advances to play Tuscarawas Valley, a 64-19 winner against Edison. In Division IV, Hiland hammered Conotton Valley 64-13 and Rosecrans took care of Beallsville 72-26, setting up a matchup between the number one and two seeds in Friday's sectional co-final. Shenandoah beat Steubenville Catholic 79-63 and next faces Strasburg, a 47-21 victor against River. Malvern defeated Bridgeport 77-44 and faces Tuscarawas Catholic Central, a 56-41 winner against Toronto. Finally, four seed Shadyside and six seed Frontier will face off after winning their respective games against Caldwell and Monroe. The Cougars trailed late but forced overtime and beat the Seminoles 68-65.

Hilltoppers Rise in NABC Poll

Following wins against regionally ranked Fairmont State and Frostburg State, the West Liberty men's basketball team continued to rise in the NABC Division II Top 25 poll, improving three spots to No. 13. The top five remained the same, with N.W. Missouri State, Lincoln Memorial, West Texas A&M, UC-San Diego and Florida Southern. Directly behind West Liberty at No. 14 is Jim Crutchfield's 20-4 Nova Southeastern team. The Hilltoppers are streaking, winners of 16 of their last 17 and are closing in on a record 12th national scoring title. West Liberty currently scores at 105.3 points per game, one of only two Division II teams to average in triple digits. The other? Nova Southeastern. West Liberty is currently third in the regional rankings. Indiana (Pa.), No. 7 in the NABC poll, is number one, followed by Shippensburg, West Lib, Fairmont State and Charleston.

National Arena League Moves

The Carolina Cobras were active on the transaction wire recently, adding secondary help by signing 6-foot-4 defensive back Armagedon Draughn. Draughn comes from the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, played in a preseason game with the New York Jets before being cut. He played collegiality at Albany State before transferring to Tuskegee. To make room, the Cobras released receivers Marc DesRuisseaux, Jaren Colston-Green, defensive back Timothy Keith and WR/DB Andrew Williams.

Waynesburg Ousts Bethany Women

Basketball season at Bethany College came to an early end this week as Waynesburg beat the Bison 79-65 in the quarterfinal round of the Presidents Athletic Conference tournament. The Bison were led by Cameron's Courtney Walker with 22 points and four rebounds. Haylie Glass back Walker with 14 points and Monroe Central's Allison Kuhn added nine in the loss. Waynesburg was led by Brooke Fuller's 16-point, 12-rebound effort. Former Union Local standout Alli DeLaney aided Fuller with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Waynesburg advances to play Westminster, the winner of which will face second-seed Grove City. The Bethany men finished last in the PAC standings and didn't qualify for the men's tournament.

Sports on TV

Spring training replays for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians are available tonight. The Pirates vs. Red Sox replay will be at 6 p.m. on ATTSN while Indians and Padres will air at 8 p.m. on the MLB Network. Virginia and Virginia Tech will battle at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. FSN1 features Georgetown at Marquette at 8:30 p.m. St. Joe's will travel to St. Louis on CBSSN at 9 p.m., with LSU and Florida battling at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. In the NBA, Fox Sports Ohio channels will feature the Philadelphia 76ers at the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ESPN's Wednesday night league doubleheader starts with Memphis at Houston at 8 p.m., followed by Boston at Utah at 10:30 p.m. Fox Sports 2 is airing CONCACAF Champions League Soccer at 8 p.m. with the Montreal Impact facing Deportivo Saprissa, followed by America vs. CS y Dcomunicaciones at 10 p.m. NBCSN is airing the Buffalo Sabres at Colorado Avalanche at 8 p.m., followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins at Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. Read the full article

#BethanyCollege #Hilltopper #Hilltoppers #NAL #Ohio #Roughriders #TV #wheeling #wvgirlsbasketball

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automaticpostinfluencer · 4 years

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MLB, union weighing variables for potential restart of season

3:40 AM ET

Jeff Passan

ESPN

ESPN MLB insider Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”

Kiley McDaniel

ESPN MLB Insider

Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency.

Has worked for four MLB teams.

As Major League Baseball handles the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and tries to determine when — or even if — it will begin its season, the league is grappling with a number of key issues that could come to a head over the next few days, sources familiar with the dealings told ESPN.

The subjects MLB is juggling, according to sources, include:

A deal with the MLB Players Association that would advance a portion of players’ salaries and cover a wide swath of labor-related issues

Receiving assurances from teams that non-player employees will receive paychecks through at least April, with cost-cutting measures a possibility come May

Delivering payments to minor league players, most of whom have not received a paycheck since the end of last season in early September 2019

MLB and the MLBPA have worked toward a potential agreement over the past 10 days, acknowledging the inevitability of a shortened season that both parties hope would begin by early June and would guarantee players a prorated salary that would depend on the number of games played, according to sources. Multiple players told ESPN they are willing to play a significant number of doubleheaders — as many as two a week — to make up for lost games and try to get as close to a full 162-game schedule as possible.

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While the sides have discussed myriad options for a potential season, both agree that if necessary, regular-season games could stretch into October and playoff games could be played at neutral sites in November, either in warm-weather cities or, if government officials allow indoor events, domed stadiums, according to sources. Expanded-playoff scenarios have been under discussion but are likely to be settled as the scope of the coronavirus outbreak becomes clearer and a firm outline of a championship season is set, sources said.

Should the sides reach an agreement — the season was due to start Thursday, and the sides have targeted Wednesday as a deadline — players probably would receive full service time if a championship season is played. A stalemate over the doomsday scenario of a cancellation of the 2020 season and its impact on service time, which counts the number of days played in the major leagues and determines a number of milestones — including when a player reaches free agency and arbitration — has complicated negotiations, sources said.

The fear on both sides is understandable and palpable. For top players such as Mookie Betts and Trevor Bauer, losing a year of service could delay their free agency in the winter of 2020 by a year. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds, who traded for Betts and Bauer, respectively, within the last year, would be similarly exploited were the two to reach free agency without having played in 2020. The sides could agree simply to reserve their right to litigate the case in an arbitration setting.

To allay short-term financial concerns for players, teams have pledged an advance of more than $150 million on salaries that the union would divide among four players of classes, according to sources: first-time players on the 40-man roster; players with low-salary split contracts who earn different amounts depending on whether they’re in the minor leagues or major leagues; players with higher-salary split deals; and players with guaranteed major league deals. The advance would not be repaid to the league in the event of a canceled season, sources said. A clause in the uniform player contract allows commissioner Rob Manfred to suspend contracts in the event of a national emergency, which President Donald Trump has declared, but MLB has not shown an appetite to invoke it, according to sources.

Some of the game’s highest-profile players have been engaged in discussions, with Mike Trout, Gerrit Cole, Bryce Harper, Zack Greinke, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Anthony Rendon and David Price among the 100 or so who participated in a union conference call Sunday to discuss the issues, sources said.

With teams bracing for significant financial losses and the industry facing a potential multibillion-dollar shortfall, Manfred, in a conference call Monday, urged teams to continue paying employees through at least April, sources said. Salary cuts, furloughs, deferred payments or layoffs could come in May if the beginning of the season remains in limbo, according to club officials. Unlike the NBA and NHL, which had played a majority of their regular-season games before shutting down amid coronavirus concerns, MLB and its teams have not tapped into their two greatest revenue streams: television contracts and gate receipts.

Though some teams remain confident in their abilities to retain employees long term, cash crunches with others had prompted them to consider job reductions within weeks, sources said. Manfred, according to three sources familiar with the call, cautioned against that as the league navigates the complicated financial implications of the coronavirus outbreak. Amid backlash Tuesday, the ownership group of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils reversed a plan to require employees making more than $50,000 a year to take 20% salary reductions.

Another outlay, though at a far lower cost, could come from the choice to pay minor league players, sources said. Multiple general managers said they believed minor leaguers, who were not paid during spring training but will receive $400 allowances through April 8, will be paid at rates similar to their expected salaries for the immediate future.

The uncertainty has rocked baseball, which initially delayed Opening Day two weeks and then pushed the start of the season back to May 10 at the earliest. The likelihood of the pause lasting longer is significant enough that MLB and the players are acknowledging a number of interruptions to regular business, including:

A later start to the season than June: Multiple officials pointed toward July — and specifically around the All-Star Game in Los Angeles — as a potentially powerful way to kick off the 2020 season. On the other hand, if games start in late June or early July, it could complicate All-Star week.

Games in front of no fans: While both sides would prefer games with crowds — an estimated 30% of revenue comes from gate receipts — they recognize that health officials might quash such an idea depending on the severity of outbreaks. Further, widespread adoption of social distancing could cut into the number of fans that attend games when they do resume.

Games at neutral sites: Even during the regular season, teams in metropolitan areas with the highest prevalence of COVID-19 could play games at spring-training facilities if outbreaks aren’t quelled.

A shortened “spring training”: Rather than spending a month ramping pitchers back up, MLB could opt for an abbreviated second spring and instead expand rosters to allow teams to carry extra pitchers.

Questions about the draft and international signing period: With hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually on amateur players, teams are balking at such an expense, particularly if games have not returned by the scheduled June 10 draft and July 2 start to signing international amateurs. The concerns are particularly acute with high school and college seasons canceled and scouts currently pulled off the road.

A transaction freeze: If an agreement is reached, teams could adopt an embargo on signings and trades.

Changes to the arbitration system: Arbitration, which is a precedent-based system that uses statistics to award players’ salaries in their fourth, fifth and sixth major league seasons, would probably need adjusting — particularly with the expectation that salaries will be depressed going into 2021 because of lessened revenue.

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celebritylive · 5 years

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An employee of the Los Angeles Angels reportedly told federal investigators he supplied pitcher Tyler Skaggs with oxycodone before his death.

According to an explosive ESPN report, Angels’ Director of Communications Eric Kay met with U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigators and detailed how he provided Skaggs, 27, with oxycodone and abused it with him for years.

Kay told investigators he gave the 27-year-old three oxycodone pills a day or two before the Angels left California for Texas, ESPN reported. Kay also said he did not believe the pills he gave Skaggs were the same the athlete took the day he died because he usually consumed them immediately.

Kay also reportedly told investigators the pitcher did lines of oxycodone in front of him on the night of his death. One line of a substance Kay was not familiar with. ESPN obtained screenshots of Venmo transactions between Skaggs and Kay over the course of two years for amounts between $150 and $600.

ESPN said Kay’s attorney, Michael Molfetta, confirmed the details of his client’s statements that were given in separate meetings with DEA agents in Dallas and Los Angeles in late September.

RELATED: Tyler Skaggs Had Opioids and Alcohol in His System, Died by Choking on Vomit: Toxicology Report

On July 1, Skaggs was found dead in a Southlake, Texas, hotel room, just two days after he pitched for the team at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California. At the time of his death, Skaggs’ family released a statement to the Los Angeles Times and The Blast in response to the toxicology report, alleging that Skaggs’ death “may involve” an Angels employee.

Over a month after his death, Skaggs’ cause of death was determined to be a mixture of “alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents,” according to a toxicology report and autopsy from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner obtained by PEOPLE.

Skaggs choked on his vomit while under the influence and the death was ruled an accident. There were no signs of trauma, according to the toxicology report.

On Saturday, attorney Rusty Hardin released a statement to PEOPLE on behalf of the Skaggs family following the ESPN report.

“The Skaggs family continues to mourn the loss of a beloved son, brother, husband, and son-in-law. They greatly appreciate the work that law enforcement is doing, and are patiently awaiting the results of the investigation,” the statement read.

Kay also gave investigators the names of five other players who he thought was using opiates while on the team, ESPN reported. However, in a statement released on Saturday by Angels President John Carpino, the team denied Kay’s corroboration.

“We have never heard that any employee was providing illegal narcotics to any player, or that any player was seeking illegal narcotics,” Carpino said. “The Angels maintain a strict, zero tolerance policy regarding the illicit use of drugs for both players and staff. Every one of our players must also abide by the MLB Joint Drug Agreement. We continue to mourn the loss of Tyler and fully cooperate with the authorities as they continue their investigation.”

RELATED: Everything to Know About Baseball Star Tyler Skaggs, 27, Who Was Found Dead in Texas Hotel Room

Skaggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.122 (above the legal limit of 0.08), 3.8 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl and 38 nanograms of oxycodone, a prescription-strength pain killer, in his system when he died. The use of oxycodone is strictly prohibited by Major League Baseball.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Skaggs — who was drafted by Angels in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft and traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks — was in his fourth year back with the Angels and had made 15 appearances in total this season, recording a 7-7 record and 4.29 ERA in 79.2 innings.

from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2nF6FFF

#Celebrity

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viraljournalist · 5 years

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MLB bans playing in Venezuela amid Trump order

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/mlb-bans-playing-in-venezuela-amid-trump-order/

MLB bans playing in Venezuela amid Trump order

8:19 PM ET

Jeff PassanESPN

ESPN MLB insider Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”

Major League Baseball has banned all affiliated players from participating in the Venezuela winter league this season, a response intended to comply with President Donald Trump’s embargo against the country’s Nicolas Maduro-led government.

“MLB has been in contact with the relevant government agencies regarding the Executive Order issued by President Trump on Venezuela,” the league said in a statement. “MLB will fully adhere to the policies implemented by our government. With respect to the Venezuela Winter League, MLB will suspend its involvement in that league until it receives direction from the relevant agencies that participation by affiliated players is consistent with the Executive Order.”

The potential repercussions of the prohibition, which prevents major league and minor league players from joining the 75-year-old Liga Venezolana de Beísbol Profesional (LVBP), could be significant. Multiple sources told ESPN they feared the ban would warp the heretofore strong bond between MLB and Venezuela and spawn a situation similar to that of Cuba, another embargoed country whose complicated relationship with the league has festered for decades.

Dozens of affiliated players either return home to Venezuela or travel there annually to play winter ball, as many supplement paltry minor league incomes with low- to mid-five-figure sums to play in a 63-game season. The LVBP, whose champion participates with those from the Dominican, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban and Panamanian leagues in the annual Caribbean Series, is sponsored by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the country’s state-run oil company, according to sources.

The murkiness of the LVBP’s link to a government-run business spurred MLB to consider the ban and consult with the Major League Baseball Players Association, according to sources. The fear, sources said, is that players agreeing to deals with a government-affiliated entity — or agents consummating the deals — would run afoul of the Aug. 5 executive order, which banned any such transactions.

Venezuela, once a bustling economic power in Latin America, has plunged into crisis, with widespread food and medicine shortages, millions of refugees leaving the country and toxic political infighting. The U.S. recognizes Juan Guaidó, the leader of the opposition, as president instead of Maduro, who remains in power.

One consequence of MLB’s plan, sources said, could be Maduro retaliating by banning the league from signing amateur players in Venezuela. The country has proved to be a hotbed of talent, with Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras and New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres among the 95 Venezuela-born players who have logged major league time this season.

In recent years, as the economic strife worsened, teams shut down academies in Venezuela and consolidated their Latin American operations in the Dominican Republic. Top Venezuelan prospects have begun following suit, according to sources. Some of the best 12- and 13-year-old players in the country have moved with their families to the Dominican Republic in anticipation of signing with major league teams at age 16, sources said.

While all of the concerns about the executive order could be mollified by an agreement between the United States and Venezuela — both countries on Thursday acknowledged recent back channel discussions — MLB’s desire to abide by it comes at a moment when the league’s international dealings have been under scrutiny.

The Trump administration in April scuttled a deal between MLB and the Cuban government that would have allowed Cuban players to sign directly with the league instead of taking the circuitous and dangerous paths offered by traffickers. The Department of Justice continues a wide-ranging investigation into baseball’s Latin American business — including deals for Cuban defectors — that sources said have targeted a number of teams, including the Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

MLB this week contacted the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Treasury department that imposes economic sanctions, seeking clarity on the executive order, according to a source. Teams expect to continue to sign amateur players as long as Venezuela does not prohibit it, believing that doing so would not breach the executive order because individual teenage players are not under the Venezuelan government’s purview.

Whether that legal argument holds up is unclear and part of the complications caused by the embargo. While a number of major league and minor league players planned to compete in the LVBP, contracts are not typically agreed upon until September and October. With no affiliated players allowed, Luis Amaro, the general manager for the Aguilas del Zulia, said he expected Venezuela natives playing in the Mexican and Italian leagues this summer to fill out the rosters.

Until then, MLB and the MLBPA can only wait to see the consequences of the potential action. The lockdown of the Venezuelan talent pool, while not crippling, would significantly hinder the talent base in the minor leagues, where hundreds of Venezuelans play. The lack of a winter option for young players in Venezuela concerned one agent, who said LVBP helps keep players out of trouble when they return home. Another agent, who expected multiple clients to make up for below-minimum-wage minor league salaries by playing in Venezuela, said he hopes clients still can get jobs in the Dominican, Mexican or Puerto Rican leagues.

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox: Preview

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox … Why are they rivals? What role did Babe Ruth play? And who should keep an eye on fans?

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox

Sportsmail has an example of the collisions with ESPN pundit Door Amitai Winehouse For Mailonline

Published: 09:19 BST, June 29, 2019 | The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play the first ever regular Major League Baseball season games held in the UK in the London Stadium on the weekend.

But many on this side of the pond cannot claim to be experts in the sport. Sportsmail spoke with ESPN channel and Olympic gold medalist, Jessica Mendoza, to see an example of the skirmishes prior to this weekend's action.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will collide at the London Stadium this weekend "

<img id =" i-894a0b23ae1fdc01 "src =" https: // i. dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/06/27/17/15338050-0-image-a-16_1561651796563.jpg "height =" 394 "width =" 634 "alt =" The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will this weekend collide at the London Stadium "

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will collide at the London Stadium this weekend

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Sportsmail spoke with ESPN broadcaster Jessica Mendoza to watch a preview of the games

Would you consider the importance of Red Sox vs.. Can you explain Yankees? For us, baseball is our oldest sport. Baseball goes back to where your parents and grandparents were. Red Sox against Yankees goes as far back as sport in both cities. The reason that I love it is so much history.

If you like history and sports, you can't know anything about baseball, but you know everything about these historical figures who wore these jerseys. Our presidents watched these games and rowed on both sides.

He has become greater than life. Babe Ruth is almost superhuman now. Then there is the curse of the Bambino, with Boston not winning a championship for nearly 100 years after selling it to the Yankees. That really started the rivalry

<img id = "i-b4d094f6cfa916f6" src = "https://ift.tt/2KHCuYv 17 / 15338404-0-image-a-18_1561652564822.jpg "height =" 399 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-b4d094f6cfa916f6" src = "https://ift.tt/2NyDsEw /1s/2019/06/27/17/15338404-0-image-a-18_1561652564822.jpg "height =" 399 "width =" 634 "alt =" The New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox is one of America & # 39; s most historic rivalries "class =" blkBorder img-share "the Boston Red Sox is one of America & # 39; s most historic rivalries"

The New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox is one of America & # 39; s most historic rivalries

And what inspires modern rivalry? The nerds have come into the game of baseball. All of the greatest ghosts from Harvard and Stanford are also involved, even if they have never played because the strategy component of the game has changed.

Boston and the Yankees had first-time managers last year, but they can understand analyzes that help to be strategic about how to win. The rivalry has now taken the form in which they have money to buy players, but then they have this native talent, young players they went looking for and scouted.

The money is combined with numbers and they do great jobs. There is a wealth of money and also knowledge to make the right transactions.

Mendoza signaled the story of Babe Ruth in explaining the antipathy between teams

I would no doubt figure out Aaron Judge I would undoubtedly choose Aaron Judge. I just came back from an injury. He has been outside all season. He's a beast. He is inhuman. He is huge.

Just watch him play. It is not even that he is a huge colossal batter, he can move, perform the basics, he is fast and he is a specimen.

<img id = "i-5cb7152f262d0c09" src = "https://ift.tt/2XdS6cN image-a-20_1561652616555.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Mendoza has designated Aaron Judge as the man to watch for the London Stadium "Aaron Judge as the man to watch for the London Stadium "

Mendoza has designated Aaron Judge as the man to watch out for at the London Stadium

And what must the player from the Boston Red Sox – he is so small and yet he was the MVP of the entire league last year – one of the unique parts of baseball is that every person can succeed in size. be brilliant in baseball.

Mookie Betts is representative of what the Red Sox are.

Watch the MLB London Series: Boston Red Sox against New York Yankees live on BT Sport 1 on Saturday 29 and Sunday, June 30, June. Visit

<img id = "i-c2128e4451591f66" src = "https://ift.tt/2NgTlUa /17/15338410-0-image-a-21_1561652663720.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Mookie Betts at the weekend "class =" blkBorder img-share "

She also thinks fans should be excited about watching Mookie Betts on the weekend I'm excited about watching Mookie Betts on the weekend

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browanger55-blog · 5 years

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Lukewarm Stove: Is Haniger Next? Pollock’s Market, Realmuto, Syndergaard, Japanese Slugger, More

Although things should heat up on the rumor front as the Winter Meetings approach, whatever transactions are not complete by the end of the work week might be put on hold until the festivities begin on December 9.

In other words, I’d expect to see some action early this week and plenty of rumors through the weekend, but at some point, the interested parties might put finalizing things on hold until they can meet face-to-face in Las Vegas. Just something to keep in mind.

One thing you might expect to see go down sooner than later is another move with the Mariners. While their next next deal – shipping Jean Segura to the Phillies – is already agreed upon …

… you shouldn’t expect them to stop there. At ESPN Buster Olney suggests that they might try to rid themselves of the remaining three years and $57.5M due to 31-year-old third baseman Kyle Seager by attaching him to a more attractive piece like outfielder Mitch Haniger. The Mariners began the offseason claiming they wouldn’t trade guys like Haniger or Diaz, but clearly that was a bluff. Everyone should be considered available, and while Seager should leave you wary after two years of decline, Haniger should be very interesting to many teams, including the Cubs.

Although he’s not rated too highly, Haniger can play all three outfield spots, and his bat has been excellent so far (his 138 wRC+ would have led the Cubs last season). So fitting him into the Cubs lineup and outfield is an all-to-easy dream to dream. And to that end, Matt Snyder seems to believe the Cubs, Cardinals, and Rockies could all come calling if such a Seager-Haniger deal was offered – sending back a bad contract of their own to offset some of Seager’s salary – but it reads more as speculation (for now) than a serious rumor. Even still, that does seem like the sort of creativity that could make sense *and* be pretty exciting for a team like the Cubs, so keep it in mind.

[Brett: How about something where the Cubs take on Seager’s contract AND Dee Gordon’s contract ($27 million remaining), get Haniger, and send back Jason Heyward ($106M), some good young talent, and enough cash to net them the value of Haniger? The Mariners save money and get some young talent, while the Cubs get three usable players (including an impact bat in Haniger) for only a little more money than they already owed Heyward (this assumes Heyward’s limited no trade rights do not currently include the ability to block a deal to the M’s). It gets complicated really fast when you’re trying to rid a bad contract AND get a guy like Haniger, but hey, it’s time to be creative, right?]

At The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal paints a busy picture for the Dodgers offseason, suggesting that they might trade from their outfield depth, including someone like Yasiel Puig, who’s just one year from free agency, and/or their starting pitcher depth. And after that, they might make big trades of their own, including top prospects for targets like J.T. Realmuto, Corey Kluber, or Trevor Bauer. He doesn’t seem to believe they’d be major players for Bryce Harper, though that’s more about their expressed desire to remain below the luxury tax threshold, which … I don’t know, man. That’s a weird choice for them – and probably one fueled by non-baseball related decisions, which hurts all the more.

Joel Sherman says he’s surprised how many execs and agents he talks to still think Harper will return to the Nationals.

The Mets are still interested in trading Noah Syndergaard this winter and would prefer to replace him in the rotation with a free agent starter. In return, it sounds like a catcher and/or a center fielder are at the top of their list, but there’s not an obvious fit with the Cubs there unless the Mets love Ian Happ and/or Albert Almora, or unless the Cubs are willing to part with Willson Contreras. I’m not sure I buy the Cubs interest in J.T. Realmuto, but if they were to move on from Contreras in some big blockbuster (please don’t), they could probably do a lot worse than Noah Syndergaard. But again … no thanks. I love me some Willy. (Also, Sherman says the asks on Realmuto continue to be exorbitant. Also, more on Realmuto in a moment.)

Although the Mets prefer a free agent to replace Syndergaard, there are still rumors of big-time trades out there, as well:

[Brett: Still seems weird, doesn’t it? They’re gonna trade three years of Syndergaard – when they’re trying to compete – so they can go out and trade for another starting pitcher? Keep in mind: the Mets’ GM used to be Syndergaard’s agent. Just seems like there’s more to this story.]

The Braves could wind up as competition for the Cubs in the secondary free agent outfield market – the Andrew McCutchen, Michael Brantley types.

CBS Sports discusses the J.T. Realmuto market, but I’m not sure what we’ve learned is much help. For example, the rumor of a possible Yankees swap for catcher Gary Sanchez might lead Cubs fans to believe Willson Contreras could be a suitable alternative, but it’s important to remember that some ex-Yankees (Derek Jeter and Gary Denbo) run the Marlins, and could be more interested in Sanchez, in particular, than others. Similarly, the Marlins reportedly asked the Braves for Ozzie Albies – a 21-year-old middle infielder who was worth nearly 4.0 WAR last season and is under control through 2023 – in return for Realmuto, which is a very high price … but that could be due to their perceived desire to keep Realmuto out of the NL East. The true asking price on Realmuto, then, is difficult to discern. I still think the Cubs begin next season with Willson Contreras behind the plate.

For what it’s worth, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said the Sanchez rumors are completely false.

As one of the younger free agent outfielders, A.J. Pollock was always someone I was keeping an eye on, but at these levels, I’m not sure I’m very interested:

His defense may be better than anything offered by McCutchen or Brantley, and he may be younger than both, but I’m betting both guys produce more at the plate than Pollock in 2019 and cost much less than five years and $80M, so … right now, he’s not at the top of my board.

A 27-year-old Japanese left fielder, Yoshitomo Tsutugo, informed his team that he wants to play in the big leagues and they’re considering posting him this winter. Tsutsugo is a four-time all-star and was considered one of Asia’s top prospects by FanGraphs. In 2016, he slashed .322/.430/.640 with 44 homers as a 24 year old. In 2017, he slashed .284/.396/.513 with 28 home runs. And in 2018, he slashed .295/.393/.596 with 38 home runs. He’s known for his power, but is clearly an all-around hitter. It’s difficult to say how good he would be in MLB, of course, and if you try to ballpark the NPB as a league, it’s somewhere above Triple-A, but below The Show (and it’s more complicated than that because the talent level is more extreme at the tops and bottoms). Perhaps the Cubs, who are looking for some offense and could fit someone into the outfield depending on other moves, would be interested. We’ll wait to see if he’s posted, first, but Tsutugo could be a bit of a wild card this winter.

Brett Taylor contributed to this post.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2018/12/03/lukewarm-stove-is-haniger-next-pollocks-market-realmuto-syndergaard-japanese-slugger-more/

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anachef · 5 years

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Big Block Partners with Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Company to Reimagine Brand

New agency of record will transform nostalgic brand; Big Block to produce video, web, social assets and execute strategic experiential and partner activations

Los Angeles, CA (RestaurantNews.com) Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Company has selected creative services company Big Block as its creative agency of record. As a strategic and creative partner, Big Block will leverage its in-house production division and diverse network of investments and relationships to rebrand and elevate the quickly growing Wild Bill’s brand.

Big Block will revamp Wild Bill’s presence in multiple phases. Big Block will introduce a new website that’s cohesive with Wild Bill’s refreshed social media profiles. These digital communities will feature a variety of new video assets, produced by Big Block. As part of the omnichannel overhaul, Big Block will execute experiential campaigns, activating the Wild Bill’s brand within passionate communities. Big Block will also serve as a strategic partner, fostering new brand relationships and partnership development.

“Big Block’s specialty is cross-platform storytelling for brands, and we’re excited to partner with an iconic company like Wild Bill’s to go under the hood for a complete reimagining of their brand, taking activations to the next level both online and on the ground,” said Joe DiMuro, Big Block Chief Growth Officer. “This is a unique opportunity for Big Block to engage new generations of Wild Bill’s fans and immerse the brand into the future of entertainment.”

Wild Bill’s Soda Pop Co. is both a veteran and family owned and operated business that focuses on experiences and communities. Found at events around the country, the brand is known for its collectible mugs and advocacy for America’s veterans. Wild Bill’s is partners with the Warrior Reunion Foundation, an award-winning non-profit founded by Wild Bill’s President, James Ferguson, and Director of Operations, Drew St. Cyr.

“We’re very excited about our partnership with Big Block,” added James Ferguson, President & CEO of Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Co. “From day one we knew the Wild Bill’s experience was about much more than soda, and with the support of Big Block we look forward to leveraging the unique capabilities of our team through brand partnerships with those seeking an unforgettable activation and enduring brand impressions, infused with a taste of nostalgia.”

Big Block has a diverse portfolio, including investments in AI, broadcasting, esports and production, which will provide Wild Bill’s with an invaluable network and access to resources. Most recently, Big Block’s multiplatform media brand Subnation launched three short-form esports series with IMGN. Big Block also added Rylee Jean Ebsen (Snap Inc’s previous Director of Media) and Cale Glendening to its director roster.

About Big Block

Big Block is a creative services company that works with leading consumer, entertainment, and technology industry brands, including Under Armour, Ford Motors, ESPN, NFL, NBA and MLB. The company produces all forms of visual content, original entertainment properties, live-entertainment experiences and media+tech IP. In addition, Big Block actively invests in companies and people in emerging technology, media, and lifestyle companies, including the most advanced AI. By combining technology and active investments with creative production, Big Block focuses on better activating engaged audiences around content and turning conversations into valuable experiences and transactions.

About Wild Bill’s

Wild Bill’s is event focused and experience driven, providing an unparalleled craft beverage activation. Book our stands for corporate functions, trade shows and public events all across the nation, and we’ll customize our signature, collectible stainless steel mugs with your company or event logo, creating a lifetime brand impression and unforgettable memory. Enjoy unlimited refills of our olde fashioned premium beverages, delivered by an engaging and professional staff through our unmistakable western themed soda booth. Wild Bill’s is proudly veteran owned and operated. Taste the experience!

source http://www.restaurantnews.com/big-block-partners-with-wild-bills-olde-fashioned-soda-pop-company-to-reimagine-brand-032719/

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swisscoin4-blog · 6 years

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MLB Bullets made a mistake

Here’s my story on the infamous Billy Ripken obscene baseball card. I was in a card shop in Roseville, MN and they had one on display. I don’t remember how much they were asking for it, but I think it was somewhere in the $100 to $120 range. Maybe more, I really don’t remember. There was a sign next to the card that said something like “This is the only copy of this card that we have. The card is massively overpriced at the moment and we believe the card will go down in value in the future. We strongly recommend that you not purchase it at this time.”

A few minutes later, one of the clerks says to another clerk “I just sold that Ripken card. Should I take down the sign?”

“Just get another Ripken card from the back.”

“I thought that was the only copy of the card we had?”

“Nah. We’ve got a couple dozen in the back.”

Hey, they did warn them.

The Dodgers had their fan fest over the weekend and team president Stan Kasten defended the team not signing a major free agent, saying that there were lots of reasons to stay under the luxury tax threshold that fans wouldn’t understand. Craig Calcaterra has had enough of teams coming up with “banal and ridiculous” excuses to be cheap and argues that if teams want to win and fans to be interested, they need to spend money on players. He also goes after the Pirates for arguing that they can win despite the lowest payroll in the National League.

Calcaterra goes after a few teams, but I mentioned the Pirates specifically because Craig Edwards points out that they’ve had a very quiet winter. Edwards believes the team’s fan base will abandon them if they don’t give them some reason to come out to PNC Park. (Other than PNC Park)

The Indians and Twins are also defending not spending any money on players this winter.

Bill Baer finds the Indians and Twins reasons for not spending to be ridiculous, since they both play in the same weak division and a playoff spot is easily within the grasp of both teams.

Bob Nightengale writes that the Dodgers signing of free agent outfielder A.J. Pollock closes the door on the possibility that the team might sign outfielder Bryce Harper.

Buster Olney tries to make sense of the Dodgers offseason moves or lack thereof. (ESPN+ sub. req.)

The Padres are thinking of entering the Manny Machado sweepstakes and would like to set up a face-to-face meeting with the free agent infielder. Machado to San Diego makes a lot of sense, but it’s a long way from Machado’s home in Miami.

The White Sox would like to sign Machado or Harper, but their general manager Rick Hahn warned that they won’t sign both of them.

Astros owner Jim Crane thinks that teams won’t give out ten-year contracts anymore.

Buster Olney writes that whether or not the Cardinals sign first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to an extension could indicate whether there is going to be a labor war in the near future. (ESPN+ sub. req.) Olney’s argument is that if Goldschmidt signs a relatively team-friendly extension, that indicates that the players think free agency is currently broken and that Goldschmidt is trying to make as much money as he can before a work stoppage.

Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield is on the verge of signing a four-year extension. I wonder if that’s a sign.

Braves great Dale Murphy has four suggestions for the next collective bargaining agreement. (The Athletic sub. req.)

The Padres and the Dodgers are the leading candidates for a trade for Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Richard Justice has seven deals that would shake up MLB. Too bad none of them will happen.

Former Cubs reliever Justin Wilson signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Mets.

Reliever Hunter Strickland signed a one-year deal with the Mariners.

New Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino tries to clarify his comments that he’d strike out Babe Ruth every time he faced him. Actually, Ottavino would walk Ruth every time he faced him because there isn’t enough left of Ruth for him to have a strike zone more than an inch or two off the ground.

On that matter, Walter Johnson was the hardest-throwing and most-feared pitcher of Ruth’s era. Johnson’s fastball probably averaged 88-mph and might have reached as high as 91-93 mph on occasion. Ottavino’s fastball averaged 94.3 last season and that’s down from previous seasons. I mean, maybe Ruth gets a weak grounder to short, but I don’t see what the controversy is.

Here’s Ottavino wearing a Yankees cap and getting an autograph from David Cone in 1996. Cone responded that he loved that sweater that he’s wearing in the photo.

Because of the political unrest in Venezuela, the Caribbean Series has been moved from that country. Where? They don’t know yet. The Series is supposed to start on Saturday.

Former Cubs outfielder Roosevelt Brown talks about what he learned from playing in Japan. He has a lot of positive things to say about Japanese baseball.

Sad news as former Giants owner Peter Magowan has died. Magowan led a group of investors that bought the team in 1992 and kept them from moving to St. Petersburg. (Really smart move there.) He ran the team until stepping aside in 2008.

Speaking of St. Pete, the Rays have decided to make Tropicana Field completely cashless and Chris Cwik doesn’t like it, arguing it makes things difficult for younger and poorer fans. What struck me here is that the Rays are arguing that it will cut down on the concession lines as the paperless transactions are faster. Is that really a big problem at Tropicana Field?

The Padres made it official. They will go back to a brown and gold color scheme in 2020.

The Rangers will retire Adrian Beltré’s number 29 this season.

Mike Mussina can’t decide between the Yankees and Orioles so his plaque in Cooperstown will have a blank cap. Probably the correct decision.

Bo Jackson was asked which sport Heisman Trophy-winner and Athletics first-round draft pick Kyler Murray should play. Jackson just said Murray should “go with his heart.” So football then. His brain would tell him baseball while it can still tell him anything.

Andrew Simon has some players with extreme platoon splits. Kyle Schwarber is on the list.

Giants third baseman Evan Longoria did a cooking challenge where he made dinner from ingredients suggested by fans.

And finally, Grant Brisbee has the story of the 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken card that had “F*** FACE” written on the handle of the bat. Bill Ripken does not want you to read this story.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/1/28/18200195/mlb-bullets-free-agents-dodgers-pirates-manny-machado-padres-white-sox-billy-ripken-face

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bhorine40-blog · 6 years

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Annotation 2/8

This article talks about the frustration that stars of the MLB are getting off their chest about free agents not being signed in a reasonable time. Kris Bryant, expresses that “it’s very weird” and “ I know a lot of players are upset about it.” I believe this source to be very reliable based on the fact that this came from a very reliable sports website in ESPN. This article was written by Jesse Rodgers who is an ESPN Staff Writer. Being this, I believe this to be very reliable. I expect to use this information to be able to talk about the changes in the way transactions are handled in baseball and how managers and GM’s are looking to get what they can out of players that won’t break the bank. This has been a big idea ever since Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics did it and led his team to an AL West division title and to the wild card game in the postseason.

“Kris Bryant: 'Not good' that stars Bryce Harper, Manny Machado remain unsigned” ESPN, 19 Jan. 2019, http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25797148/kris-bryant-chicago-cubs-frustrated-unsigned-bryce-harper-manny-machado.

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thegloober · 6 years

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Revisiting the MLBTR Archives: November 2013

RAB Live Chat

Zelous! (Hannah Foslien/Getty)

Welcome to November. The offseason’s first month. And, since we’re in a new month, it’s time to go back in time to make our regular run through the MLB Trade Rumors archives. The transactions and rumors pick up now because, well, it’s the offseason. Not much happens in September and October.

The 2013 Yankees went 85-77 and could’ve been a whole lot worse. They missed the postseason and went into the 2013-14 offseason needing everything. Starters, relievers, infielders, outfielders, a catcher … you name it. The farm system was thin and the core was aging. And Robinson Cano was a free agent. That was a pretty big deal. Time to dive into the five-year-old hot stove talk.

November 1st, 2013: Yankees Re-Sign Jeter To One-Year, $12MM Deal

The Yankees announced that have re-signed shortstop Derek Jeter to a one-year deal worth $12MM. Jeter, who is represented by Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, had a $9.5MM player option on his previous contract, but this deal will override that option.

This was the time the Yankees gave Derek Jeter a raise simply because he’s Derek Jeter. There was no other reason. Injuries limited Jeter to 17 games in 2013 and the Yankees, who were supposedly planning to get under the $189M luxury tax threshold in 2014, could’ve let Jeter exercise his $9.5M player option and been done with it. Who was signing a soon-to-be 40-year-old Jeter after the season he just had? Instead, the Yankees reworked his contract and have him an extra $2.5M just because he’s Derek Jeter. It’s good work if you can get it.

November 3rd, 2013: Yankees Interested In Infante If Cano Signs Elsewhere

Though the Yankees remain the odds-on favorite to employ star second baseman Robinson Cano for the foreseeable future, GM Brian Cashman has reached out to Omar Infante as a fall-back option, report George A. King III and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Cashman was vague when approached for comment by the Post, and there is no reason to believe that this report indicates any change in Cano’s status.

Cano was, obviously, the best second baseman on the free agent market that offseason. Infante was second. He hit .318/.345/.450 (118 wRC+) with the Tigers in 2013 and it was so very far out of line with the rest of his career. His first full big league season was 2004. He hit .282/.320/.410 (95 wRC+) from 2004-12, then he had that big 2013 season. Infante timed his career year quite well.

The Yankees were on Infante pretty much all offseason and especially so after Cano went to Seattle. He eventually signed a four-year deal worth $30.5M with the Royals and you’d have thought the Yankees missed out on peak Joe Morgan the way the media and a portion of the fan base reacted. Infante went on to hit .252/.295/.337 (74 wRC+) in 2014 and .220/.234/.318 (43 wRC+) in 2015. Kansas City released him midway through 2016, the third year of his four-year deal. Bullet dodged.

November 4th, 2013: Yankees Make Qualifying Offers To Cano, Granderson, Kuroda

The Yankees made qualifying offers to Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, and Hiroki Kuroda, according to a team press release.

A formality. The qualifying offer was only $14.4M that offseason. I remember there being some speculation the Yankees could pass on giving Granderson the qualifying offer after he missed so much time with injuries in 2013, but that never made much sense. Worst case scenario is he takes it and you get 33-year-old Granderson for one year and $14.4M? Not bad at all.

Given their free agent signings and losses, the Yankees had a very busy and complicated 2013-14 offseason when it came to draft pick compensation. Here’s how it all broke down:

Yankees forfeit 18th overall pick to sign Brian McCann.

Yankees gain supplemental first round picks for losing Cano and Granderson.

Yankees forfeit the Cano and Granderson picks to sign Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran.

Kuroda re-signed with the Yankees, so no draft pick compensation.

The Yankees signed three qualified free agents and lost two qualified free agents. Their first pick in 2014 was No. 55 overall, which they used on Jacob Lindgren. He appeared in seven games for the Yankees in 2015 and was non-tendered following the 2016 season after getting hurt. Lindgren hasn’t pitched since. He’s with the Braves and is currently rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery.

November 5th, 2013: Yanks Made Preliminary Inquiry On Brandon Phillips

Preparing themselves in the event that Robinson Cano signs elsewhere, the Yankees have placed a preliminary call to the Reds on Brandon Phillips, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Cincinnati’s asking price for Phillips is said to be “way too steep” according to Heyman.

Among trade candidates, Phillips was probably the most discussed Cano replacement. He had a down season in 2013 (90 wRC+) and the Reds were good at the time — they lost the 2013 NL Wild Card Game and were planning to contend in 2014 — so they were never serious about moving him. A few years later reports surfaced that the Yankees and Reds had a deal in place for Phillips at some point (I think at the 2014 trade deadline), but he used his no-trade clause to block it. Phillips blocked a bunch of trades over the years. He didn’t want to leave his Cincinnati and hey, that was his right. But there was a lot of Phillips chatter during the 2013-14 offseason. A lot.

November 6th, 2013: Five Teams Showing Early Interest In Grant Balfour

Grant Balfour is expected to sign with a new team as a free agent this offseason after three excellent years with the A’s — two of which came as the team’s closer. According to the latest from Susan Slusser at the San Francisco Chronicle, the Yankees, Tigers, Rockies, Rays and Angels have all expressed interest in the hard-throwing Aussie.

Balfour was dominant with the Athletics from 2011-13, throwing 199.1 innings with a 2.53 ERA (3.40 FIP) and a bunch of saves. He agreed to a two-year, $15M contract with the Orioles and then the O’s backed out over something they saw during his physical. Everyone laughed because the O’s are notoriously stingy with their physicals, and hoped their team would sign Balfour on the cheap. The Rays scooped him up for two years and $12M and … he broke down the next year. Threw 66.2 innings with a 5.00 ERA (4.32 FIP) on that contract and was done for good by the middle of 2015. The Orioles had this one right.

November 8th, 2013: Yankees Making Tanaka A Top Priority; Won’t Pursue Ervin Santana

The Yankees are planning to make Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka a “top priority” this winter and are considered the team to beat in bidding for the 25-year-old, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports … The Yankees are not expected to be in the market for Ervin Santana, he adds, as they don’t feel that he would fit well in New York.

Given their Japanese free agent activity at the time (or lack thereof), it was easy to be skeptical of the Tanaka rumors. The Big Erv stuff was completely believable. He’d been complaining about the new Yankee Stadium for years and years. And why wouldn’t he? Santana has allowed 29 runs in 39.1 career innings at the new park, postseason included. Granted, he faced the Yankees in those 39.1 innings, but still. Santana wound up with the Braves on a one-year deal and had a nice 2014 season (3.95 ERA and 3.39 FIP) before going to the Twins the next year.

November 11th, 2013: Minor Moves: Crotta, Richardson, Blue Jays

The Yankees signed outfielder Antoan Richardson to a minor league deal and invited him to their Major League Spring Training camp, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets.

Antoan Richardson! Richardson spent pretty much the entire 2014 season with Triple-A Scranton, where he hit .271/.380/.364 (114 wRC+) in 93 games. The Yankees called him up in September to be their designated pinch-runner and he appeared in 13 games. Richardson will forever be the answer to a trivia question: Who scored on Derek Jeter’s walk-off single in his final home game? It was Yankees legend Antoan Richardson.

? Jose Pirela started the bottom of the ninth with a ground ball single, Richardson pinch ran, Brett Gardner bunted him up to second, and Jeter punched a Jeterian single to right to win the game. The 2014 season pretty much stunk. Jeter’s farewell was really cool though.

November 13th, 2013: Feinsand On Freese, Yankees, Ellsbury, Beltran

The Yankees are talking to the Cardinals about a deal for third baseman David Freese, a source tells Feinsand (via Twitter). The Cardinals could theoretically part with Freese since they can move Matt Carpenter to third base and use Kolten Wong at second. Freese, 30, would give the Yankees a solid plan B in the event that Alex Rodriguez’s suspension is upheld.

It amazes me that David Freese has never been a Yankee. He’s been available a bunch of times over the years and, once Alex Rodriguez became a full-time DH, the Yankees had a revolving door at third base for a while. Basically from 2011 until Chase Headley arrived in 2014. And yet, Freese was never a Yankee. Seemed like such a natural fit. A relatively low-cost third baseman who the Yankees could promote thanks to his championship pedigree. Never happened. I thought a marriage was inevitable.

November 13th, 2013: Latest On Brian Wilson

General Manager Brian Cashman told reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter), that you can rule out the Yankees signing Brian Wilson after his agent told the team he won’t shave his beard.

So silly. I mean, Wilson’s free to do whatever he wants. He had plenty of suitors, so he was getting paid either way, but imagine telling the richest team in baseball you’re not interested because you want to keep that stupid beard? Wilson signed a cheap one-year deal with the Dodgers in 2013 as he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery, then, after looking good in 18 late season appearances, they gave him a new one-year deal worth $10M. He had a 4.66 ERA (4.29 FIP) in 2014 and has been out of baseball since. Wilson is now beardless and he races cars.

November 14th, 2013: Yankees Notes: Morales, Cano, Jeter, Trades

The Yankees are interested in Kendrys Morales, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports. Despite Morales’ history of leg injuries, Yankees scouts feel the switch-hitter could add first base depth behind Mark Teixeira in addition to taking regular DH at-bats.

Morales had a pretty good year in 2013. He hit .277/.336/.449 (119 wRC+) with 23 homers for the Mariners. That’s not great for a DH, but it’ll work. I don’t remember whether the masses wanted the Yankees to sign Morales though. Mark Teixeira was coming off basically a lost year with his wrist surgery and there was no obvious in-house first base replacement/fill-in. Morales eventually signed a one-year, $12M deal with the Twins and hit .218/.274/.338 (72 wRC+) in 2014. Ouch. Teixeira stayed mostly healthy that season. His primary backup? Kelly Johnson.

November 15th, 2013: Mutual Interest Between Yankees, Javier Lopez

There’s mutual interest between the Yankees and left-hander Javier Lopez, agent Barry Meister tells Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. The two sides have had preliminary discussions and plan to have more substantial discussions later in the offseason once the Yankees have had time to address their biggest issues.

The Yankees were set to lose Boone Logan that offseason and they were looking for another lefty reliever. They eventually settled on Matt Thornton, who was fine, then was let go on a trade waiver claim in August so the Yankees could save money and give Rich Hill a look. Lopez was one of the best left-on-left matchup guys in baseball with the Giants from 2010-13 and he returned to them on a three-year deal worth $13M. He was fine. Declined a little in his mid-to-late-30s but was fine overall. Everything was fine.

These days, I’m not sure a guy like Lopez sticks around all that long. Those one or two-out left-on-left guys are a dying breed. Teams use their bullpens so much now that using a roster spot on a guy who only gets one or two outs doesn’t make sense, even if they are high leverage outs. Four lefty relievers made at least 60 appearances and averaged no more than two outs per appearance this year (Luis Avilan, Jerry Blevins, Andrew Chafin, Tim Hill). Back in 2013, just five years ago, eight guys did it.

November 17th, 2013: Minor Moves: Valaika, Whiteside, Wheeler

The Yankees signed third baseman Zelous Wheeler to a minor league contract. Wheeler split time between the Orioles’ Triple-A and Double-A affiliates in 2013, posting a .275/.354/.414 batting line.

Zelous Wheeler! The Yankees called him up in July 2014 because Yangervis Solarte was struggling big time and they wanted to try someone else. Wheeler hit .296/.367/.467 (132 wRC+) with Triple-A Scranton that year, and, in his second big league at-bat, my dude went deep.

? Come for the Zelous Wheeler dinger, stay for the Phil Hughes cameo. Wheeler went up and down the rest of the season and finished with a .193/.230/.298 (46 wRC+) batting line in 62 plate appearances.

The Yankees sold Wheeler (at his request) to the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan following the 2014 season and you know what? He’s still over there mashing. Wheeler hit .264/.332/.414 with 13 homers in 103 games this year. Last year he hit .271/.342/.493 with 31 homers in 153 games. Huh. Rakuten gave him an extension and a couple million bucks last year. Good for him. Wheeler’s only 31 too. Still has a lot of baseball left to play.

November 18th, 2013: Yankees Interested In Jhonny Peralta

The Yankees are now expressing interest in Jhonny Peralta, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Peralta would provide the Yankees with insurance should Alex Rodriguez miss significant time with a suspension or in the event of a Derek Jeter injury. He has extensive big league experience at both shortstop and third base.

It was kinda funny Peralta was being mentioned as suspension insurance for A-Rod when Peralta himself was coming off a suspension. He was one of the players who accepted the 50-game suspension for his ties to Biogenesis. Peralta wound up with four years and $53M from the Cardinals. His numbers from 2014-17 are pretty much the classic aging curve for middle infielders from age 32-35:

2014: 120 wRC+ and +4.6 WAR

2015: 105 wRC+ and +2.0 WAR

2016: 91 wRC+ and +0.0 WAR

2017: 27 wRC+ and -0.5 WAR

Imagine if the Yankees had invested $80-something-million in Infante and Peralta from 2014-17 to replace Cano and hedge against Jeter and A-Rod? Lordy.

November 19th, 2013: Yankees Won’t Wait For Cano Before Pursuing Other Free Agents

Reports have indicated that Robinson Cano is willing to wait until January to get the deal that he’s looking for, but don’t expect the Yankees to exercise similar patience. Yankees president Randy Levine told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that the team is interested in five or six free agents and doesn’t plan on waiting for resolution on the Cano front before making offers.

November was loaded with “Cano wants $300M+” and “the Yankees and Cano are far apart” rumors. There was a daily update, it seemed. Levine coming out and saying the Yankees were ready to move forward with other free agents was designed to a) put some pressure on Cano, and b) let everyone know the Yankees were open for business. Remember, they missed the postseason in 2013, and they were desperate to improve the team. There was some thought the club would hold off on everything until Cano’s deal was done. That definitely was not the case.

November 20th, 2013: Minor Moves: Twins, Pirates, Cabrera, Ely, Alfaro

The Yankees announced that they traded right-hander Ben Paullus to the Padres for utility man Dean Anna. Anna, who recently celebrated his 26th birthday, posted an .892 OPS in Triple-A last season. Paullus, 24, worked his way up to Advanced-A Tampa last season.

Dean Anna! He made the Opening Day roster in 2014 and had a very short stint with the Yankees. Twelve games and 25 plate appearances. Anna spent most of the season with Triple-A Scranton. I do remember two things though. One, Anna pitched for the Yankees. Two runs in one inning. And two, he drew an eight-pitch go-ahead bases loaded walk in the 12th inning at Tropicana Field.

That was Anna’s last plate appearance as a Yankee and his second-to-last plate appearance as a big leaguer. The Yankees send him down a few days later and then released him after the season. The Cardinals signed him and he appeared in one game with them in 2015. Anna’s been bouncing around Triple-A ever since. He hit .271/.367/.341 (106 wRC+) with the Phillies’ Triple-A team this year, so I suppose he could get back to MLB at some point.

As for Paullus, he threw 81 innings after the trade, only one of which was above Single-A. He got hurt and has been out of baseball since 2016.

November 22nd, 2013: Brian McCann Closing In On Deal With Yankees

The deal is for five years and $85MM and has a sixth-year vesting option that could boost the contract’s value to $100MM, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The deal is simply pending a physical, Rosenthal adds in a second tweet.

The first of several big free agent signings that offseason. McCann was a priority. The catching was so bad in 2013. So incredibly bad. I mean, look at the Yankees’ catcher ranks that year:

AVG: .213 (26th in MLB)

OBP: .289 (23rd)

SLG: .298 (29th)

OPS+: 70 (26rd)

WAR: +0.9 (23rd)

It is very hard to win with catching that crappy. McCann hit .256/.336/.461 (118 wRC+) with the Braves in 2013 and ZiPS projected him for .258/.340/.451 (113 OPS+) in 2014. Going from the Chris Stewart/Francisco Cervelli/Austin Romine catching trio to McCann was one of the single biggest upgrades any team could make during the 2013-14 offseason. Gary Sanchez was still years away and the Yankees needed outside help behind the plate.

McCann fell well short of his ZiPS projection in 2014, hitting .232/.286/.406 (94 OPS+) overall, but he was still a pretty substantial upgrade behind the plate. He was better in 2015 and 2016 (102 OPS+) before the Yankees shipped him to the Astros. McCann was definitely a bit of a disappointment offensively but he was a lot better with the Yankees than I think he gets credit for. He was a big upgrade — on both sides of the ball, it should be noted — over what they had. The signing didn’t really work out as hoped though. Doesn’t that always seem to be the case?

November 25th, 2013: AL East Notes: McLouth, McCann, Orioles, Saltalamacchia

The Yankees are interested in Nate McLouth writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but more as a backup plan to primary targets such as Carlos Beltran and Curtis Granderson.

Man did we get a lot of McLouth mailbag questions back in the day. What about trading for him? What about signing him? What about trading for him now? Every offseason. It started with McLouth’s breakout 2008 season (121 wRC+ and +3.8 WAR) but he never came particularly close to those numbers again. His dead cat bounce year with the Orioles in 2013 was .258/.329/.399 (100 wRC+) with 12 homers, 30 steals, and +2.2 WAR. That’s about as good as it got after 2008. The Nationals gave him two years and $10.75M and received 79 games and -0.1 WAR in return. Imagine if the Yankees would’ve let Granderson walk, lost out on Beltran, and signed McLouth to plug into the outfield? Gosh.

November 27th, 2013: AL East Notes: De Jesus Jr., Lavarnway, Infante

The Yankees paid a good amount to sign Cuban lefthander Omar Luis last year and they’ll be making him available in this year’s Rule 5 draft, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. The Yanks initially signed Luis for a $4MM bonus but when an unexpected issue popped up in his physical, they negotiated that figure down to $2.9MM. It may be a long shot that any team will draft Luis, however, given how far away he is from contributing.

Luis was the last big money prospect the Yankees signed before the international spending restrictions kicked in and he was a total waste of money. He allowed 66 runs in 99.1 pro innings, almost all in rookie ball, and walked (75) nearly as many batters as he struck out (86). I can’t find any record of the Yankees releasing Luis, but he hasn’t pitched since 2015, so I assume he’s out of the organization.

November 30th, 2013: Pirates, Yankees Nearing Chris Stewart Trade

The Pirates are on the verge of acquiring catcher Chris Stewart from the Yankees, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter link).

Stewart was a goner either way, with or without the McCann signing. He was slated to earn seven figures through arbitration and, rather than non-tender him, the Yankees were able to send Stewart to the Pirates for a player to be named later. That player: Kyle Haynes, a righty who spent a few seasons in the farm system as an organizational arm before being released. Stewart spent four seasons in Pittsburgh and slugged .298.

November 30th, 2013: Cano Asking Yankees For Nine Years, $250-260MM

Cano asked for a nine-year deal at $28MM per year, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney, a $252MM total that would match Alex Rodriguez‘s first free agent contract. He also wants a tenth year vesting option at $29MM. Olney says the Yankees are in the $170MM range, leaving a gap of around $80MM.

This was the first time we heard an actual dollar figure from the Yankees. Cano’s camp had been saying $300M total and $30M annually for weeks and weeks. This was the first time the Yankees’ offer was reported. Also, the fact they were at $170M indicated they were not offering ten years. It wasn’t until after Cano signed with the Mariners that we learned the Yankees capped their offer at seven years and $175M. That’s a gap of three years and $65M. It was a bummer to see Robbie go. I wish he could’ve been a lifelong Yankee. But the Mariners made it very easy to say goodbye with that offer.

RAB Live Chat

Source: https://bloghyped.com/revisiting-the-mlbtr-archives-november-2013/

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jodyedgarus · 6 years

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The Brewers Are The Rare Team To Win The Offseason And The Actual Season

Winning the offseason — signing the marquee free agent and/or making the headline-grabbing trade — does not correlate strongly with actual winning. The San Diego Padres “won” the 2014-15 offseason by adding Craig Kimbrel, James Shields and a host of other players, then went on to lose 88 games the following season. The previous winter, Seattle shocked the baseball world by outbidding the Yankees for All-Star Robinson Cano, but the Mariners still haven’t made the playoffs since 2001. In December 2011, the Los Angeles Angels signed Albert Pujols to a 10-year, $240 million contract — a contract that quickly became one of the great albatrosses in the sport. The deal has compromised the Angels’ ability to improve their club; Angels star Mike Trout has participated in only three playoff games in his career.

But last winter, something unusual happened: The Milwaukee Brewers won the offseason and went on to win in the actual season. The Brewers, who will begin the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, acquired the best player in the trade market last winter in Christian Yelich and the best player in the free-agent market in Lorenzo Cain. They also found an undervalued arm in Jhoulys Chacin.

These big-name acquisitions exceeded expectations. In total, no team had a better year-to-year roster overhaul than the Brewers — and it wasn’t close.

The Brewers added 18.90 wins above replacement1 from outside their organization in 2018. The next closest teams were the Tampa Bay Rays (11.93 WAR) and Houston Astros (9.05). In terms of net gains and losses from last offseason, the Brewers’ departing players accounted for -0.02 WAR of value in 2018 with their new teams, making their net WAR gain from offseason transactions 18.92. The next closest clubs? The Red Sox (7.78) and Reds (5.43). Yelich (7.61 WAR), Cain (6.30) and Chacin (2.50) accounted for 39.7 percent of Milwaukee’s WAR this season.

The Brewers won the offseason … and the NL Central

MLB teams by net wins above replacement (WAR) for the 2018 regular season

team Net WAR Milwaukee Brewers +18.92

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Boston Red Sox +7.78

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Cinncinati Reds +5.43

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Cleveland Indians +3.97

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Toronto Blue Jays +3.95

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New York Yankees +3.77

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San Francisco Giants +3.33

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Minnesota Twins +3.26

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Houston Astros +2.73

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Philadelphia Phillies +2.15

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Atlanta Braves +1.94

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Tampa Bay Rays +1.84

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San Diego Padres +1.48

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Los Angeles Dodgers +1.45

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Seattle Mariners +0.73

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Colorado Rockies -0.47

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Oakland Athletics -0.49

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Texas Rangers -1.46

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Washington Nationals -1.53

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New York Mets -1.84

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Baltimore Orioles -2.47

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Pittsburgh Pirates -2.49

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Chicago Cubs -5.55

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Los Angeles Angels -5.81

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Arizona Diamondbacks -5.91

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Chicago White Sox -5.93

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St. Louis Cardinals -13.27

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Miami Marlins -13.59

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Detroit Tigers -15.01

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Kansas City Royals -16.22

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Sources: Fangraphs, Baseball-reference.com

One reason it’s so difficult to translate offseason success to the actual playing field is that predicting player performance is a difficult task in just about every sport — even a sport rich in data like baseball. Injury and misfortune can derail the best of plans.

Another reason is tied to a macro-level trend in baseball: Free agency has been devalued.

Because of both performance and financial motivations, teams are prizing cheaper, younger talent more. The average age of an MLB player in 2004 hit a post-World War II high of 29.2, but that has gradually declined to a 21st-century low of 28.2 years this season. Testing for performance-enhancing drugs, which began in earnest in 2004, has also likely played a role in the disappearance of 30-somethings — ages when players are typically acquired as free agents. Simply put, it’s more difficult to buy a competitive team in baseball, while the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros have won titles with homegrown efforts and given MLB a blueprint in the past several seasons.

Yet Milwaukee defied the odds and — partially through spending — got itself a contending team. As the industry zigged, the Brewers zagged.

Conventional wisdom has it that small-market baseball teams must be homegrown because there is no financial mechanism like a salary cap to level the playing field, though baseball’s strengthened penalties for exceeding the luxury tax are acting something like a soft cap.2 But the Brewers, ranking 23rd in opening day payroll, had the second lowest amount of homegrown production this season, according to MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, who found that only the Oakland A’s had a lower share of homegrown WAR than the Brewers’ mark of 17 percent.

The Brewers’ offseason and in-season success is tied to being opportunistic. The team took advantage of a suppressed free-agent market to land Cain, an effort perhaps aided by clubs saving dollars to pursue Bryce Harper and Manny Machado this coming offseason. Star-level free agents often sign before New Year’s Day, but it wasn’t until late January that Cain reached a five-year agreement worth $80 million. While the back end of the deal might not turn out to be favorable for the club, the 32-year-old Cain’s 6.3-win season has already covered much of the expense in terms of performance value. Among 2017-18 free agents, no one was more valuable than Cain this season — even J.D. Martinez, who is guaranteed $30 million more over five years.

While teams have become more leery of free agency, they’ve also become less likely to part with prospect talent. Milwaukee went against the grain here, too, in acquiring Yelich, who may very well be the NL MVP. The Brewers surrendered four prospects — including their top prospect, Lewis Brinson — to acquire Yelich. The 26-year-old is under club control through the 2022 season at $51.3 million.

All clubs are interested in free-agent bargain hunting to fill out their rosters — and the Brewers did well here, too, in signing Chacin to a two-year, $15.5 million deal. Chacin’s 2.50 WAR was third only to Miles Mikolas (4.47 WAR)3 and Jake Arrieta (2.65 WAR) among free-agent starting pitchers signed over the winter.

With the Brewers, Chacin and Yelich have gotten more out of their abilities. Chacin’s slider usage rate has increased to a career-high 43.9 percent; in run value per 100 pitches, it was the 11th-best slider in baseball. Yelich became more aggressive in swinging in early counts in the second half, and his home run-to-fly ball rate surged to 48.1 percent.

The Brewers were also able to avoid the overpriced relief market, returning Josh Hader and Corey Knebel — their top two relievers from 2017. Their bullpen is the strength of their pitching staff.

Milwaukee invested wisely. The Brewers saw undervalued players and opportunity last winter. Because of that, this high-import, small-budget team is four wins from the World Series.

Neil Paine contributed research.

Check out our latest MLB predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-brewers-are-the-rare-team-to-win-the-offseason-and-the-actual-season/

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rickhorrow · 6 years

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10 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS: Mayors Edition OCTOBER 1

with Tanner Simkins

As America’s political discourse marks its ugliest, most combative moments in our modern history, MLB is once again working with ESPN on its Shred Hate bullying prevention campaign. According to SportsBusiness Daily, the league has enlisted many of the sport’s biggest stars for a pair of new postseason PSAs. One spot highlights last year’s World Series MVP George Springer, a victim of childhood bullying due to his stuttering long before he joined the Astros. A second spot features stars Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Javier Baez, Justin Verlander, Aaron Judge, Francisco Lindor, Nolan Arenado, and Sean Doolittle. The spots also coincide with October being National Bullying Prevention Month. The PSAs will run throughout the month on multiple ESPN and MLB platforms. “We’ve seen good progress with this initiative thus far, but we knew that utilizing players like this was where we could really elevate this program’s potential,” said MLB VP and Special Assistant to the Commissioner Billy Bean. “This is a really important message, something that’s very personal for me, and the players have done a great job lending their voices to it and giving power to that message.”

As baseball’s best prepare for the pennant races, the sport’s minor leagues are making fun plans. Minor League Baseball has announced an expanded roster of 72 teams that will participate in its “Copa de la Diversión,” or “Fun Cup,” a season-long event series in 2019. The cornerstone of MiLB's U.S. Hispanic/Latino fan engagement initiative, "Copa de la Diversión" established an innovative new platform connecting MiLB teams with their diverse communities, embracing the culture and values that resonate most with Hispanics and Latinos nationwide. From adopting culturally-relevant on-field personas – such as the Albuquerque Isotopes transforming into the "Mariachis de Nuevo México," – to integrating more local flavor into game day experiences, the 33 teams that dedicated 167 games as "Copa de la Diversión"-designated events reported a 12.6% attendance increase compared to similar game dates in 2017. Retail sales of “Copa”-specific licensed merchandise via MiLB ballparks’ team stores and MiLB teams’ online stores far exceeded participating teams’ preseason goals, with sales projected to be more than 500% higher than pre-campaign estimates. MiLB will report final "Copa de la Diversión" results at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas this December.

When it comes to the booming market of corporate sponsorships for sports in North America, companies are looking past ROI to justify a potential investment. According to JohnWallStreet and the World Advertising Research Center (WARC), companies will spend a whopping $65.8 billion (+4.9% YoY, $24.2 billion spent in North America) on sponsorship deals this year — most of them coming from sports — though research revealed that merely 19% of the 500 corporate sponsorship executives surveyed indicated that they had a way to measure returns on their sponsorship investments. Of those interviewed, 73% said that brand awareness, not ROI, was the main point of a sponsorship. Apart from the 19% that calculate ROI, 37% of the executives are monitoring the sponsorship’s impact, “often with a form of digital or social media analysis.” One name that consistently remains one of the most visible brands in sports sponsorship in Anheuser-Busch, a company that has begun using “incentive-laden contracts, as opposed to signing long-term pacts with fixed fees, for its pro sports partnerships."

Houston Rockets Owner Tillman Fertitta is poised not to let high luxury taxes stop him from building a championship team. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets will enter the new NBA season with the club’s highest payroll in franchise history — roughly $143 million. In buying the club back in 2017 for $2.2 billion Fertitta showed off his deeps pockets, but excessive spending on players without winning a championship is not a viable business plan due to the "punitive nature of the NBA's rules for teams repeatedly paying luxury taxes.” “We're in it a lot this year,” said Fertitta of the luxury tax. “It's a horrible hindrance. It's just brutal. You can take $5 million and look up and it cost you $20 million.” Under league rules, teams that have been in the luxury tax for three out of four years are put in the repeater tax, resulting in heavy fines to be paid. At the same time, the businessman stated that he is committed to winning above anything and that he is “not going to let five or 10 or 15 or 20 million dollars make the difference.”

Seattle continues its push to secure an NHL franchise after the city council unanimously approved of a $700 million renovation of KeyArena. According to JohnWallStreet, the iconic arena’s redevelopment is expected to begin within the next 60 days with the hope of having it completed in time for the 2020-2021 season. The David Bonderman/Jerry Bruckheimer Group still has to present the city’s formal bid to become the NHL’s 32nd franchise; approval is expected from the league’s executive committee on October 2, but a formal vote will not come before December. Despite not yet being formally announced, the city is eagerly waiting for hockey in the Pacific Northwest. The David Bonderman/Jerry Bruckheimer Group received more than 33,000 deposits (at $500 or $1,000) for season ticket packages the day they went on sale. As the largest U.S. market without a winter pro sports franchise, Seattle seems poised to finally get a hockey team.

Colin Kaepernick is the face of Nike’s new “Just Do It” advertising campaign, but he was almost dropped by the company last summer following a huge internal debate. According to the New York Times, Kaepernick’s political activism and protesting has made him a controversial topic in the professional football and for affiliated sponsors. After discussing whether or not to drop the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, “Nike concluded that backing Kaepernick made good business sense despite the risk of angering the NFL.” Nike Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer Nigel Powell was in favor of keeping Kaepernick on the payroll, convincing employees that the company would receive more backlash if it was seen as “siding with the NFL rather than Kaepernick.” Not only did Nike elect to resign him, but they chose to make his face the center of its anniversary marketing campaign.

The FA has agreed to terms on a deal to sell Wembley Stadium in London to Jacksonville Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan. According to the Financial Times, the sale will go for $790 million, though it is still subject to a “critical vote” within the country’s soccer governing body. FA CEO Martin Glenn and Chair Greg Clarke "are seeking unanimity from the board to proceed." But a minority representing the amateur game "are yet to indicate their support," according to people close to the talks. The FA is trying to take emotion out of the equation and make this a true business decision, as some important figures with voting rights have “may be voting with pure emotion.” Limitations have been imposed on the transaction to help preserve Wembley’s magic, such as restricting Khan from renaming the stadium or adding a corporate title sponsor. The FA will also hold certain buy-back rights and will have the power to veto any sponsor associated with the stadium.

Twitch is banned by the Chinese government. According to John Wall Street, the San Francisco based social video game platform was exiled late last month after the August Asian Games led to a download rate 23 times higher than normal for the app. This high download count was due to the esports competition not being broadcast on either state television or domestic gaming live streaming platforms. In the weeks following the ban, the Chinese government removed the service from the Chinese Apple App store and access to the company’s website has been blocked on the mainland. Twitch still heavily underperformed other Chinese domestic social video game competitors such as Douyu, YY, and Huya, all of which have tens of millions of active monthly users. The main assumption for these restrictions on Twitch is that Chinese authorities are unable to control the chat function within the service. Foreign media companies will continue to push the boundaries in China – meanwhile, this ban eliminates a massive Chinese gaming market for Twitch.

ESPN’s new sports business show “The Boardroom” will partner with Kevin Durant’s Thirty Five Media. The show will air on ESPN+, the company's April-debuted streaming service, and will be hosted by ESPN’s Jay Williams. According to Deadline, the six-episode series features Jordan Schultz as a correspondent and will become one of the many pieces in ESPN+ lineup which has already attracted more than one million subscribers. The show’s goal is to bring fans behind the scenes of the modern business office and showcase the evolution of sports business through the minds of athletes, sports executives and tech moguls. The Golden State Warrior star and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, will also make regular appearances and serve as the show’s executive producers. Durant has established himself as someone who can play on the court, however the next step in growing his business profile off the court will start by running “The Boardroom.”

Grand Prix of Sonoma Verizon IndyCar Series weekend raises more than $76,000. According to the Argus-Courier, the fundraising at the IndyCar event-filled weekend raised money for the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities which has distributed more than $6 million to its nonprofit groups since 2001. The INDYCAR Grand Prix Salute kicked off the Verizon IndyCar Series Championship weekend at Andretti Winery in Napa with the Michael Andretti Foundation partnering to host the event. The evening included a star-studded lineup with a question-and-answer session featuring Andretti Autosport drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi, Rossi’s teammates Patricio O’Ward and Zach Veach – sponsored by Group1001 – and three generations of Andrettis: Mario, Michael, and Marco. The weekend totaled more than $60,000 for SCC and the next event will be the 15th annual Classic Sports Racing Group Charity Challenge October 5-7. Over the past 14 years, CSRG has donated $910,000 to SCC through the Charity Challenge race weekend.

#10 #10towatch

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